Oliver v5

Oliver V5 is good at meeting the needs of learners

Comments: Oliver V5 has helped us to tailor our services in order to introduce children to the library and instill a reading culture in them. We designed services that go along with information seeking behavior of young adults.

Pros:

I helped to implement Oliver V5 in a community library which is designed to meet different needs of learners in the community. These are mainly primary school going children. Oliver 5's user-friendly interface connects the learners to streaming sites that reflects their age, ability, skills and culture Oliver V5 has features that motivate children to use the library resources. We customised the interface to display appealing pictures of the books that the learners like. In so doing, the Learns begin to engage with the books. We use the OPAC as a tool to communicate both parent and learners and promote the available services. The dynamic features in Oliver V5 has enabled us to constantly update and change the contents of OPAC in line with current events and festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Eid. As a cloud-based application, Oliver V5 has helped the community library to do away with hardware and software installation, security, backup and upgrades. Oliver V5 brings fun to the whole process of knowledge acquisition. Learners access the community library's collection using s hand held mobile devices, on top of the conventional PC. With Oliver V5, reporting has been so easy. The a available templates enable us to create effective charts, graphs and tables that I form stakeholders on the extent of usage of the library along with the impact of the same on intellectual development of the learners.

Cons:

I wish Oliver V5 connects learners to more websites that have local content for the community children.

An unrivalled combination of user-friendliness, reliability and first-class support

Comments: I manage a large and busy library in a secondary school serving more than 1,000 students, so I want my library management system to help me provide a professional service to students and staff. "Professional" in this context means being able to circulate books easily, quickly catalogue and curate content, and promote library resources and services in an effective manner. Oliver is that system. It offers an unrivalled combination of user-friendliness, reliability and first-class support. Deciding which LMS to use is one of the most difficult decisions a school librarian has to make. I happily recommend Oliver to anyone and everyone who asks, because, based on my experience, I think it’s the best.

Pros:

I particularly like three aspects of Oliver. First, I like its reliability, which I think is in large part due to its robust, platform-independent, browser-based management interface. In two years of using Oliver I’ve had only one occasion of downtime, which lasted all of thirty minutes. I cannot not say the same of the previous system at my school. Second, I like Oliver because it's very user-friendly. Students and teachers. who won't hesitate to complain when something is frustrating them, frequently comment favourably on Oliver's Amazon-style interface. They they find it appealing and easy to use, whether they're searching for books or online resources on LearnPath (Oliver's optional content curation platform). Third, I like Oliver because its support team is so responsive; I cannot over-empathise how important this is. Everyone I've contacted, without exception, has demonstrated a clear understanding of how school libraries work, the pressures I’m under and the importance of fixing any problems as quickly as possible. Staff quickly respond to queries, whether by phone or email (I rarely have to wait for a call back, while almost all emails are answered within 30 minutes), they fix most problems on the spot, and they are very willing to take on board ideas for developing the software.

Cons:

Some areas of the management interface are cluttered, the layout of some functions could be better and one or two housekeeping processes are - for me - a little illogical. Such issues are usually the consequence of a new feature being added but not entirely integrated with an older function it's intended to complement. For example, the latest version of Oliver offers management users the option of creating customised emails for circulation notices, but it doesn't entirely replace the older system of creating and scheduling emails and consequently is unnecessarily complex and frustrating to use. I also don't like having to sort through so many options for reports when only one or two of them are relevant to me; I'd appreciate more options for customisation in this area, along with several others. I fail to understand why the system sends students and staff overdue notices during school holidays when it's impossible for them to return books - something that annoys both me and the teachers and students receiving the emails; the only way of stopping it doing so is to turn off the automatic overdue emails altogether, which shouldn't be necessary. These are, however, minor niggles when set against the strength of the system overall.

Exceptional functionality and great support

Comments: Being able to create content that incorporates library resources seamlessly (via LearnPath) is very important for us. The ability to make the Oliver program available from anywhere 24/7 (i.e. totally web based) is also very important to our school community. The online helpdesk is quick to respond and we usually resolve any issues very quickly. Oliver is a powerful tool in our delivery of resources and services to our school community.

Pros:

Oliver is a comprehensive library database software that specifically caters for our school needs by offering excellent functionality and continual upgrades that address issues that sometimes arise.

Cons:

Oliver is very expensive compared to the local New Zealand alternative - Accessit .

Reliable, user-friendly and content-rich library system with lots of scope for customization

Pros:

The search function is very easy and powerful for students and other users, with scope for adding lots of extra content, such as reading lists, genres, users' own book reviews. We train our new students in basic searching and management of their own account (reservations, renewals, and now - setting up favourite book lists and searches), and it's great to see them empowered to use the system for themselves. I quite often see them showing their skills off to prospective students on school open days! I am looking forward to using our LearnPath modules to develop tailored libguides to print and electronic resources to support all our subjects at school, both within the library and beyond.

Cons:

I've been using the system for ages now and know it well, but I think the sheer number of features and options for setting up the system in different ways could be overwhelming for a new user. There are lots of training videos and webinars throughout the year to support users, though - and I have had good tech support too. We also use RFID and I desperately wish Oliver had programmable hot keys in the circulation desk module so that we could link issuing and returning books with the correct RFID function automatically (securing or unsecuring tags).

Great Product, Outstanding Customer Service

Comments: We installed Oliver v5 in January 2018 to replace the Alice operating system. Although there were a few issues initially with printing barcode and spine labels, I was very impressed with the Help Desk and the support we received to resolve the issues. Oliver v5 has been a great investment for our library, with students enjoying the opportunity to track their borrowing and browse the catalogue from their classroom, and teachers finding the borrowing and returns process simpler and more intuitive. I am greatly looking forward to implementing many more of Oliver's featurs this year, and know that I have support and assistance from a great Help Desk to back me up. Well done Softlink, your product, Oliver v5, is impressive and so is your after-sales service from the Help Desk!

Pros:

Oliver is like a turbo-charged version of Alice, our previous operating system. It is very user friendly and intuitive, and our students love being able to track the books they have borrowed and want to borrow in the future and write book reviews.

Cons:

There were a few glitches in the label printing, however these were very competently sorted out by the amazing Help Desk staff, who went above and beyond to get the issue sorted out.

Oliver V5

Comments: “Thank you so much. I am logging in now to have a play, ready for my training in the morning. So exciting. Thank you to all of you at Softlink for the professionalism you have shown and flexibility to be able to fit in our data conversion after the problems we had with our previous provider. I am very excited to now be dealing with such a professional company.” Since having Oliver V5 I have found that it has saved me a lot of time that was being wasted with my previous library program. I find the response time when inputting data and going to new screens is quick. I have found that I rarely need to contact softlink as most things I need to use generally just work, the only time they don't is something I am not doing correctly. Extremely happy with the Oliver program and the customer service provided.

Pros:

I mostly like that it is so easy to use. Most areas I can work out how to do what I need to do. If I can't work it out and contact softlink, they always assist with working out the problem. I find that they are always very quick with replying to my emails and assistance is very quickly provided.

Cons:

This is not so much a problem with the software, but I haven't worked out how to email parents automatically from within the overdue screen.

Appropriateness for a School

Comments: From the start when we were looking for a new Library Management System, Softlink has been obliging and supportive. Once we migrated to Oliver, we have had a very happy experience. All our Library staff have been able to contribute to the administration, not just dedicated administrators. Staff and students of the school find it easy to use.

Pros:

Software is logical to use and there are great Help functions available that will step you through what you need to do to upskill or solve a problem. Support is always available and promptly. The interface of Oliver is attractive and can be customised. Also easy for staff and students to use. For more complex cataloguing, there is more than adequate features to accommodate original cataloguing.

Cons:

Some of the higher levels of features such as Acquisitions are a little trickier to master.

My opinion of Oliver.

Comments: I use Oliver as an everyday working tool. It is predictable and reliable. It brings an attractive flair to customer service. They particularly love the library map that shows where materials are located.

Pros:

I have always found that Softlink library software (and I have used practically all of their products) are straight forward and think like a librarian. I like the colourful, visual options and the easy navigation forclients.

Cons:

I initially had trouble adding sliders or carousels but then the support team helped me out. I have also used the fingerprint identification since it first came out but the company which produces that software hasn't had great support over the last three years.

Oliver easy to use

Comments: It is very easy to train staff and students and I can limit what information they see or can use if I would like to do this

Pros:

“Oliver V5 is a great system and very user friendly to teach and train. I train student volunteers from Victoria University’s Library and Information Services studies as well as many parent volunteers. The hover over buttons assist if they are trying to work out what to do and they love the help button. Smart cataloging has halved my time when cataloging and I love how Oliver V5 automatically sources details from SCIS, Library of Congress, the National Library or any other data source I choose to use. I just love the product, it has streamlined every aspect of what we do and very easy to train students to use the system”.

Cons:

That the Smart Cataloging does not show you if you have imported the picture of the book

Great for schools

Comments: Softlink is usually quick to reply to questions and will give detailed help for complex issues. Having the Oliver community is a great support network linking us with other education users. This gives us opportunity to share ideas specific to the schools with one another.
Having online webinars are a good tool for professional development

Pros:

Easy for students to use and can be used across multiple school campuses. Being able to have Oliver and Orbit to cater to different age groups makes it a viable option for K - 12 schools. The ability for students to search and filter allows them to learn important information literacy skills in a meaningful way as they search for resources.

Cons:

Having multiple campus libraries makes it difficult for our students to only see or reserve the items within their own library.

Marlborough Colleges Oliver

Comments: with Oliver we have been able to reach out users and promote our resources better. The ability to use the app on the phone is helpful. Would love access to more promotional material we could adapt for our users such as posters, bookmarks or cards as we introduce the platform to new users each year

Pros:

24/7 access for our customers, email alerts and notices, customer support

Cons:

Not always intuitive to use and some reporting not entirely what you want, stock taking modules

Switch up to cloud based service for multi campus college

Comments: Ease of use allows for quick responses to customer queries. Customers quickly become self sufficient which is great for this context as there are not always staff in the libraries.

Pros:

Integration of three libraries into one service allowing searches across multiple locations Search Facility is available away from the library - customers can perform searches on any device. Look and feel can be customised to different user age levels.

Cons:

There was a bit of custom setting needed behind the scenes for the first few weeks to get it tweaked for the desired eservices but this became set and forget.

Oliver v5

Comments: I have used the Oliver library system for several years now and the Alice library system prior to that. It makes daily library tasks very simple to do and allows more time to be allocated to helping students and spending time within the library.

Pros:

Oliver v5 is very easy to use. Keeping track of library items is no problem. There are lots of reports to choose from. The customer support is brilliant; they are so helpful and always get to the bottom of any infrequent problems that arise, no matter how big or small.

Cons:

I don't think there's anything to dislike.

Oliver rules!

Comments: We've had over 20 years' experience with Softlink LMS, and see no need to change at this point.

Pros:

The GUI... Softlink are hip to the student groove.!

Cons:

When in Resource Box Maintenance, I'd like to be able to SORT resources by Resource Title, so that they are easier to find.

An Integrated Approach to Information Literacy in School Libraries

Comments: We've realised that Oliver can help us take an integrated approach to information literacy with our students. It's not just a tool for looking up resources - we can also use it with our library lessons for review writing and research tasks.

Pros:

Oliver v5 is a reliable and accurate product that allows us to run our school library in an efficient manner. I love the support from the Softlink team. They are always readily available for help and to answer any questions I might have.

Cons:

Sometimes the back-end set up requires further knowledge and support.

Oliver - delivering more!

Comments: Oliver helps the routine stuff become invisible, leaving more time for the fun promotional activities and increased support for T&L (Teaching and Learning).” “Support is great, response time is fast. I loveOliver!

Pros:

functionality, quick and helpful technical support

Cons:

development requests can be slow to be created

Excellent Software for any library.

Comments: Coming from an Oliver Jr. user for roughly 9 years, Oliver v5 is a huge step up. Excellent experience so far with it.

Pros:

The design and layout makes it very easy to use. The menus and added functions make admin work far more productive such as auto cover image linking. Being web-based has opened our catalog up to the school community as well.

Cons:

I have not been able to utilize reports as much as I would like to. I find there are lots of preset reports ready to use but they do not always cover my needs. Customizing my own reports has not been as straightforward as I had hoped. There is a learning curve.

New to Oliverv5

Comments: Very user friendly and a extremely helpful support desk.

Pros:

I have found my transition from Oliver jnr to Oliver v5 a very smooth process. It is extremely user friendly and the support is excellent. Having Oliver v5 connected to cases would have to be the highlight of this program. I no longer have to search for the new student via cases or sentra, I don't have to do anything. The program updates each night, adding new students and removing those who have left. One tedious and time consuming job I no longer have to do.”

Cons:

So far I haven't found any difficulties or 'least liked' applications of this program.

School Library

Comments: I have been working in school libraries for seven years, and this is by far the best LMS I have used in that time.

Pros:

We’re absolutely thrilled with Oliver – absolutely miles better than eclipse – reliable and user friendly, it’s a revelation!

Cons:

I wish I had more time to get to grips with all the functionality.