In 2008, the Monique Calixte library came to a crossroads: it had to go from managing its collection and its membership by hand to a computerised management system, in order to better meet time requirements, as all other document centres and libraries of the world are doing. This change was difficult since we had to find a safe and reliable system.
Those responsible chose a free software called PMB and spent some time in Château-du-Loir in France with the creators of this application to improve their knowledge of this software before implementing it at the library.
Three years later, the components of this web application have evolved and we were faced with problems of incompatibility. In addition, some staff members who were involved in the 2008 training have been assigned to other tasks or have left for other jobs. To insure the maintenance and the upgrading of the system, a new team had to meet with the creators for an update on the changes brought to the software. It was with this in mind that five FOKAL workers left to follow a 5-day long workshop. Three of these attended basic training, and two underwent advanced training on the use of the PMB and its maintenance.
When they returned, this team revised the whole system. It is now being tested before being exported to the Centre Numa-Drouin in the town of Jeremie, the second library in the FOKAL network to be computerized.
Erick Toussaint
Library Program
Those responsible chose a free software called PMB and spent some time in Château-du-Loir in France with the creators of this application to improve their knowledge of this software before implementing it at the library.
Three years later, the components of this web application have evolved and we were faced with problems of incompatibility. In addition, some staff members who were involved in the 2008 training have been assigned to other tasks or have left for other jobs. To insure the maintenance and the upgrading of the system, a new team had to meet with the creators for an update on the changes brought to the software. It was with this in mind that five FOKAL workers left to follow a 5-day long workshop. Three of these attended basic training, and two underwent advanced training on the use of the PMB and its maintenance.
When they returned, this team revised the whole system. It is now being tested before being exported to the Centre Numa-Drouin in the town of Jeremie, the second library in the FOKAL network to be computerized.
Erick Toussaint
Library Program
