BOOK 38: AN INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR THE IBM SYSTEM 38

Published date01 April 1987
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/eb040385
Date01 April 1987
Pages25-30
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management
BOOK
38:
AN INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR THE IBM SYSTEM 38
Introduction
In recent years, IBM hardware has not figured largely in the UK library
automation scene, with the exception, obviously, of the microcomputer
market and the IBM-PC. Some libraries, usually public, use the parent
organisations mainframe to run in-house library systems, developed from
the offline environments of the early 70s. The only turnkey system
currently marketed for IBM hardware in the UK is DOBIS/LIBIS and that
has been targeted at academic libraries. However, this looks set to
change with the introduction into the UK of an Australian library
system, Book 38, developed to run on the IBM System 38 hardware by Stowe
Computing, Australia. Book 38 is an integrated library system offering
cataloguing, online public access catalogue, acquisitions, circulation
control and serials. It also interfaces fully to a range of other
software products for local authorities in the financial and property
areas.
Background: the companies involved
Stowe is a library systems' supplier with some 10 years of providing
systems to Australian libraries. Stowe recently took the decision to
market Book 38 in the UK and set about finding a UK collaborator with
suitable System 38 experience. This proved to be Lychgate Associates
Ltd, an IBM System 38 agent with a network of 6 regional offices in
England and Wales and an employee base of around 100. Stowe has signed
a contract awarding Lychgate the exclusive UK marketing rights to Book
38,
including the rights to all future software enhancements and
developments within the period of the contract. Stowe has agreed to
undertake modifications to the software to suit the UK environment as
and when required.
As a System 38 agent, Lychgate will have overall management
responsibility for the hardware as well as the software product,
providing a single point of contact for the user. Customers are
normally approached and supported through the regional offices, each of
which deals with all the products and services supported by the company.
However, in the immediate future, the North London office has undertaken
to co-ordinate the activites with Stowe and it is this office which is,
therefore, given as the initial contact point. Local government
currently accounts for over two thirds of Lychgate's business with the
commercial sector responsible for the remainder; while hoping to expand
the commercial interests, Lychgate expects to sustain its present volume
of local government contracts. Typical of the products supported are a
suite of packages for district office purposes (housing benefit
software,
for example) plus also more business-orientated software for
distribution systems, ledgers etc.
Given this major interest on the part of both companies in the local
authority sector, the marketing of Book 38 is, understandably, being
weighted towards public libraries.
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