Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, and Alliance Plus: The Unison Design from Follett Software Company

摘要

Follett Software Company has long been a leading developer of software for school libraries. Its Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus are well-established products. Follett's software is installed in more libraries than that of any competitor. In 1994, Follett announced that its products would be updated under a new design called Unison. The Unison versions of these products show greater integration, increased modularity, and significant enhancements in features beyond previous releases. This article reviews the Unison version of Follett's Circulation Plus, Catalog Plus, and Alliance Plus. This review follows a format that I have established in earlier works. In The Essential Guide to the Library IBM-PC. Volume 13; Integrated Library Systems (1994), I introduce this genre of software and define a set of review criteria for each of the functional modules. This article remains consistent with these previously established categories. In Integrated Library Systems for PCs and PC Networks (in press), I offer detailed reviews of the major products, also following the criteria defined previously. This volume includes a review of the pre-Unison versions of Circulation Plus and Catalog Plus.