Site review: Liberty3 information and library management service

Liberty3 is a web-based integrated library management system that acts as a platform for information management between a library website and its data.

First impressions are of a customisable interface that is presented concisely, is easy on the eye and makes the most of its screen space. The main menu
icons are clear and to the untrained eye it is reasonably obviouswhere they point to. Users are allowed a limited amount of browsing – including launching an online public access catalogue (OPAC) search and compiling reading lists – before the system asks them to log in.

After the log-in threshold has been crossed, Liberty3 relies on colour-coded categories (expanded from the navigation menu categories) to steer users around the site. The colouring of the various section headers identifies your location wherever you are in the system.

For basic browsing,you can see the status of any book or journal on loan, where those materials currently are and how many are available – all with
just a couple of clicks. The nature of each resource is identified by an accompanying icon, such as book, article, PDF/word-processing document , audio file and a synopsis of its current status is also provided.

Order-tracking of books is available for library managers with full purchase order information available based on their level of authorisation.

Two of the key features are alerts and full text searches. The search capability entails Liberty3 knowing where every word is, and it will look through every electronic document your organisation holds or has had digitised, as long as it has user authorisation to do so.

You can also export specifically selected information such as catalogue data to any part of the Microsoft Office suite . There are also a variety of options available, ranging from basic keyword and Boolean searches, to more advanced or guided search options. The inquiry system encourages interactivity and takes you down some quite complex trails, but the nice thing is that you never feel lost or at a loss as to where to make your next move if a particular search doesn’t yield the results you want, or takes you down a different route than expected.

But Liberty3 isn’t just about search; collectively, its cataloguing, circulation and acquisition tools are equally important. For the main part, these are intended for administrators rather than the average user and the alert system, which ties into every section of the system, is equally robust.

Efficient taskmaster

The application acts as a taskmaster. It informs users of what they need to do, from tracking a book order and its progress and invoice status, to late subscriptions, overdue items and more general watch-lists, such as reservations.

From the central menu, the alert system offers an overview of reminders from each menu tool of the system. Once a user enters a section, the alert system focuses specifically on tasks assigned to that area only. This helps keep the reservoir of information nicely contained and relevant. The status of any given piece of data is also neatly compartmentalised into who wants it, who’s got it and who’s had it, while for circulation a simple colour-coded system for out, due and back works just as effectively.

Some real thought has also gone into the help wizards on Liberty3. There is a nifty little screen-recording tool which allows a user experiencing problems to make a quick video and send it direct to support. Whatmakes the facility particularly helpful is that other users can do the same, shooting their own videos to suggest a solution and add it to a trouble shooting or training library page.

Showing rather than telling will foster a communal aspect for users. Although you might expect a piece of knowledge management software to be
user-friendly and intuitive – and Liberty3 certainly ticks those boxes – it has clearly been well thought out and rigorously user-tested. Softlink says it is “follow your nose” software, and the claims is justified. With a highly customisable graphical user interface and some nice presentation touches, Liberty3 is certainly worth a look , both for its versatility and its thoughtful design.

IN BRIEF
www.softlink.co.uk

Knowledge and library management tool that adds a touch of colour to information management

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