The National Entitlement Card enables Scottish citizens to access and avail of various services of the councils within Scotland through a single card. The card seeks to replace several such cards used for specific services.
As well as other public services, the card enables Dundee’s citizens to access online catalogue, book a public access PC and borrow a range of books and resources from the Central Library, 13 community libraries and a mobile library.
The council also plans to implement Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for purchasing new library stock; and to launch a web-based Open Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), to enable people search, reserve books and access other library services across the web at home and from networked libraries across the country.
Civica’s library system Spydus is a web-centric application that automates traditional library functions such as circulation, cataloguing, public access, acquisitions, and serials control. It includes facilities for inter-library loans, selection, current awareness, stocktake, stock rotation, community information, newspaper indexes, homebound borrowers, materials and facilities bookings, archives, self-service and data loading.
For Dundee City Council, Spydus facilitates cataloguing and circulation of all library resources through over 300 public access PCs in the libraries. Simon Parkes, director at Civica, said: “Dundee have chosen to use the modules that will most benefit their citizens, emphasising the flexibility of the system. Any council wishing to integrate smart library cards with a flexible system should view Dundee’s libraries as a beacon example.”
Civica claims to have over 1,100 customers for its Spydus worldwide. The other providers of library management system in the UK include ExLibris, Innovative, SirsiDynix, Talis, Access-IT Software, and Coutts Information Services.
Frances Foster, community library and learning centres manager at Dundee City Council, said: “We chose Civica to install the Spydus library management system after a rigorous tender process. We wanted a system that was easy to use and allowed our citizens to navigate book catalogues more easily while meeting our technical criteria in terms of infrastructure and server requirements.”
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