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OUR SOFTWARE,
YOUR IDEAS

What makes Bailey Solutions' library softwares so popular among librarians? Managing Director Penny Bailey, explains the sources of inspiration for their software.

SOLVING PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

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“What started as a working tool for me became the working tool of other librarians.”

Each of Bailey Solutions’ library systems has been the result of trying to solve a practical problem. Our first system, PenLib, was inspired by my own frustration with library systems on the market that were too expensive and complicated for the smaller libraries where I was working. I developed my own and then realised that other librarians shared her frustrations. What started as a working tool for me became the working tool of other librarians, and PenLib took on a life of its own.

SIMPLE LITTLE LIBRARY SYSTEM

“In smaller libraries, the people who manage them are not always trained librarians”

PenLib was a Windows-based system, and so people were telling us they needed something without the fuss of an installation or IT assistance. In 2018, all of PenLib’s features were moved to Simple Little Library System (SLLS), which is a browser-based system. We noted those workflows that worked well and ensured that these had the same level of effectiveness in SLLS.

In smaller libraries, the people who manage them are not always trained librarians, so we need to offer a system that can be used easily, even by people who don’t have librarian training. Therefore, our system can be used by a wide range of personnel such as teachers, receptionists, lawyers, and others working in schools and offices as well as librarians. 

It is our policy to encourage feedback from clients and to gather ideas. We don’t charge for bespoke development but incorporate popular ideas into updates to our software. With Software-as-a-Service updates every 4-8 weeks, we are able to include improvements and new features that clients suggest.
 
For example, clients were seeking ways to compile the audit report quickly without spending days going through their records in order to meet the auditing requirements of the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA). I contacted the CLA directly to discuss how they prefer the data be exported, and we created a template to extract the data in the format they required. Both systems include this feature.

KNOWALL MATRIX FOR LARGER LIBRARIES

“We find librarians dissatisfied with their existing suppliers. Often, they are being charged for new versions that fix existing errors. Updates take two or more days to run and are complex and time-consuming.”

As a result of talking to larger libraries, KnowAll Matrix was born to provide more advanced functionality. The scenario this time was different, yes, there were other systems in the marketplace, but clients were dissatisfied with their existing suppliers. There were many concerns, including:

 
 – being charged for new versions that fixed existing errors;
 – being charged the same amount as a new customer;
 – updates that required an on-site visit by an expensive consultant;
 – updates that took two or more days to run;
 – updates that were complex and time-consuming.
 
I knew I would not have accepted this, so we work hard to offer a fair deal to our clients and deliver a higher-level of functionality. Based on how competitors treated their clients (which we didn’t want to do!) we developed our guarantee of a fair deal:
 
 – Genuine no obligation trial – no credit card needed
 – Transparent pricing
 – To keep software future proofed
 – Free patches and upgrades for subscribers
 – User-friendly software without the need for complex or expensive training
 – Quick response times for clients who take our Support Package
 – To keep your data secure and private
 
This fair deal applies to both systems.

BUILDING A MODERN LIBRARY

“New ideas continually come from talking to our clients via webinars and online meetings, from support calls, conferences and exhibitions. It’s a collaboration.“

An example of new higher-level functionality in KnowAll Matrix is the ability to create more than one hierarchical taxonomy. Additional taxonomies can be used to offer multi-lingual subject terms or add more descriptors like sectors, industry types, courses, practice groups – whatever you want! This takes creating your own fields to a new level because each taxonomy can also become a filter when the user is browsing or searching. Library users will now be able to find more relevant content without having to perform complicated searches, which is what our clients have been asking us to do. 
New ideas continually come from talking to our clients via webinars and online meetings, from support calls, and from meeting people at conferences and exhibitions. It’s a collaboration. In the end it seems crazy not to listen, and I mean really listen, to what our clients want, because if you deliver what they want, they will be happy.
 
In fact, this concept was picked up in an interview with me commissioned by Platinum Business Magazine in their August 2022 issue entitled: “Give the People What They Want”.

“In the end it seems crazy not to listen, and I mean really listen, to what our clients want, because if you deliver what they want, they will be happy.”

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