Illinois District Moves 52 Libraries to Online Management System

Rockford Public Schools (RPS) of Rockford, IL is moving its library management online. With more than 30,000 students enrolled in 54 schools, the district is making the shift as part of an effort to make management of resources, especially expensive and often difficult to replace books and media materials, more efficient.

The district has selected Follett Software's Destiny Library Manager to manage operations and circulation for its school libraries and Destiny Textbook Manager to organize and track its textbook inventory.

The district has implemented the Library Manager in all 52 of its libraries, said RPS Information Services Coordinator Chris Taskey, streamlining its management of the entire system, including circulation, cataloging, search capabilities, and reporting. Taskey added that the new system, which offers easy access from any computer with an Internet connection and features a powerful and intuitive browser and other easy-to-use tools, supports an environment of greater student collaboration and engagement. And, he said, the district librarians report being "very happy with the new system."

Additionally, after a complete textbook inventory over the summer, RPS has also begun its implementation of Destiny Textbook Manager. Going forward, the district will have an ongoing overview of its textbook inventory and distribution management, a capability Follett said will save the district a great deal in costs pertaining to loss, excess purchase, and overall management. (To calculate potential cost savings to your district, access the DTM savings calculator.)

Mary Spevacek, who recently signed on as the assistant principal of curriculum/library media, had previous experience with Follett's products and was very enthusiastic about the district's implementation. "We've been going through Destiny training at the district, and while change can be difficult," she said, "[the products] are very user friendly."

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Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.

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