Destiny by Follett is what is currently used in my Middle School Library and the other three libraries in the district. I like the system and think it serves the library well. I am comfortable with the system and through my interview with the District’s Lead Librarian, I became aware of additional features and strengths of Destiny along with the reasons the district purchased the program five years ago.
Destiny is web-based so it can be used from any Internet connected computer, allowing students and staff access from the library, the classroom and from home. It can also search for materials in the Middle School library as well as all other libraries in the district, increasing the amount of material available to patrons.
The system allows users to search for materials in a variety of ways including: a basic search, a power search, a visual search (particularly nice in younger grades and with ELL students) and my favorite, a “did you mean search”. Destiny is image-rich, with the purchase of an additional feature, pictures of book covers are displayed in a search list and clicking on the book cover (Title Peek) allows the reader to explore book pages and read reviews. To help with the selection of a book from a search list Destiny displays valuable information, such as the copies available in the collection, a description of the book and the books reading and interested level. Destiny also makes suggestions of other subjects that are related to a book selected and a direct link takes the reader to a new list of material options.
Patron records follow students in Destiny as they progress from school to school within the district. This feature eliminates the need to enter student information into the school OPAC as they move on through their school years in the district.
Service is an important consideration when maintaining and operating a school library. OPAC. Follett provides strong, efficient and flexible support for Destiny Library Manager. It is available through email and on the web. In addition, live customer service is available through phone service to help subscribers with problems and issues.
Barcodes, spine labels can be created in Destiny and MARC records can be downloaded. Many types of reports can be created, including circulation statistics, overdue materials and the age of specific areas of the collection.
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