About Bailey Solutions, developers of KnowAll Matrix library software

Phone: +44 (0) 1273 386849

About us

Bailey Solutions’ mission is to help library and information professionals excel in their jobs, by providing the software tools to help them work smarter and more effectively.

Our core value is high customer satisfaction. We offer fair pricing to our clients and avoid charging individual clients for development. We incorporate new features as options in our standard build, for the benefit of all our clients. Listening to our clients and understanding their mindset by holding regular user group meetings and product consultations is important to us. We always strive to offer high levels of customer service.

Our story begins in the late 1990’s when Penny Bailey developed her first library system, PenLib, because she was frustrated by the user experience of the existing systems she came across. Most were built for large academic and public libraries so Penny developed PenLib for small to medium sized libraries. In 2002, Baileys Solutions was registered. In 2003, we launched KnowAll, with the aim to provide a more sophisticated library system with additional features.

In 2020, we re-launched KnowAll as KnowAll Matrix:

a browser-based library software system hosted in the cloud

Penny Bailey, BA, Dip. Lib, MCLIP, MIoD, FRSA

A member of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) for over 35 years.
Treasurer of CLSIG (Commercial, Legal & Scientific Interest group).
Member of the Institute of Directors and finalist for Director of the Year Award 2008.
Fellow of the RSA (The Royal Society of for Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce)

Meet our founder

Penny Bailey has worked in the library sector since 1983 both as a Chartered Librarian and a self-employed consultant. In these roles, she was involved in a significant number of projects to set up, trouble shoot or run library and information units. In the 1990s, Penny delved into programming and worked as a freelance programmer.

Penny’s passion for programming and library management led her to incorporate Bailey Solutions in 2002 with the aim to offer library software products to organisations of all sizes and help them manage their library and information centres and enquiry services efficiently. Penny is currently the Managing Director of Baileys Solutions.

Penny’s and Bailey solutions’ achievements through the years have built a strong reputation for the company. Bailey Solutions was the subject of a case study in Knowledge management for SMEs: solutions and strategies by Jela Webb (Ark Group, 2004).

Penny is the 2006 winner of the BIALL / Lexis Nexis Butterworths Awards for Excellence with Brian Thomas for Best use of Technology in a Library Project for the BIALL web site. More recently Penny was a finalist in the Institute of Director’s Southeast Region’s Director of the Year Awards.

In 2016 Bailey Solutions won Growth Club Business of the Quarter Award. Holding an RSA Fellowship, Penny has had a number of articles published in information journals over the years and regularly presents at conferences. Penny’s work experience also includes, training, project management roles and university lecturing.

Penny also likes going to jazz gigs and taking photographs.

Meet the Bailey Solutions team

We are all recruited to fit in with our culture. Our team is involved in strategy development and key decision-making for the company. We are the problem-solvers, learning and growing constantly. Working in a friendly and pleasant environment at Bailey’s encourages successful collaboration and consultation.

Why choose KnowAll Matrix by Bailey Solutions?

Our integrated library system is designed by a Chartered library consultant in consultation with clients to ensure that our product meets all your library management requirements. KnowAll Matrix, designed by Baileys Solutions, will help you easily manage and access all your print and digital resources.

KnowAll Matrix aims to help you:

Reduce the time you spend on library administration by at least 25%.
Increase your productivity and achieve personal and wider organisational goals.
Make it easy for users to help themselves – the online Web OPAC that is as simple to use as a website.

We offer 30-day free trial. No obligation. No credit card required.

Read what our clients say...

"Shoosmiths has been using KnowAll since 2007 and we have found it invaluable in keeping track of acquisitions, serials and claims, as well as giving our staff easy acess to the library catalogue. We have been particularly impressed by the level of support offered by Bailey Solutions. Our questions are usually answered immediately and they go out of their way to resolve more difficult questions in a timely way with minimum input from our IS department."

Aileen JohnsonKnowledge Resource Manager, Shoosmiths LLP

"Clarke Willmott has been using KnowAll for its integrated library management system since 2003. We really appreciate the responsiveness of Penny and her team. We make suggestions and they take them seriously. In a very short period of time, our suggestions for improvements are generally implemented."

Janis LawDirector of Best Practices and Knowledge, Clarke Wilmott LLP

"We are delighted to have transitioned our Library Management System to KnowAll Matrix. It is a modern, clean, intuitive system both from a user’s and cataloguer’s perspective and is easily configurable for the requirements of law libraries in particular. Crucially, the transitioning project plan was extremely well managed and supported by Bailey Solutions who have vast experience in data extraction, cleansing and conversion. The ease of use of the product is demonstrated by the fact that little staff training has been required."

Heather SempleHead of Library and Information Services, The Law Society of Northern Ireland

"The support we have received from Bailey Solutions has been exceptional at every step during the process, from the planning stages, through data mapping, conversation and implementation. The team are friendly, approachable, highly knowledgeable and responsive. The system has met all our needs and Bailey Solutions are very open to suggestions for ongoing developments."

Jenny AndersonKnowledge, Research & Information Manager, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain, LLP