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Many thanks to everyone who replied to my request for information about primary school library systems (and Foyle library grants). I had some very helpful replies and some requests for a summary, which can be found below: Comments about Junior Librarian: I received confirmation that Junior Librarian is a good solution for primary school libraries (cost aside). I also received the suggestion that the school could look into an online crowdfunding campaign to fund the annual subscription to Junior Librarian. Alternatively, we could get together with other local schools to purchase a shared system, which is not something I had thought of and seems like an excellent idea to explore, given the number of small schools locally. Alternatives to Junior Librarian: The following systems were suggested, but without any personal experience of them: http://247lib.com https://www.libib.com Several libraries (including HE) are using an open source system called KoHa. Its advantages include cost and a large amount of support available through the user community. Disadvantages for a small primary school include the fact that you need tech knowledge to set it up. A secondary school library is using MLS Eclipse 2, which is the secondary version of Junior Librarian (an old version). One person suggested that I check which system is in use at the secondary school to which our school feeds as it would be a good idea to get the children used to the same system. Comments about Foyle Schools Library Programme A few respondents welcomed the news that a grant exists for this purpose. I was also contacted by a librarian with experience of applying successfully for these grants, who stressed the importance of demonstrating that the library can be maintained (including any software included in the bid) year on year. "Don't ask for what you can't maintain" seems to be excellent advice that I will need to stress with our new HT. Thanks again for taking the time to reply with such helpful advice. Kind regards, Lindsay Jones --- Reference Department Cambridge University Library We would like to have your opinion of the Library's service. Please send your comments to [log in to unmask] On 2016-01-28 09:58, L. Jones wrote: > Dear all, > > I wonder if there are any school librarians out there who might be > able to offer a bit of advice? I have been asked to help my daughter's > primary school to breathe new life into its very old and neglected > library. We are planning to apply for a Foyle grant for new books and > probably also a library management system. The Head is keen on Junior > Librarian, which I think the grant would cover. However, the annual > subscription cost from year 2 is quite high (minimum 600 per annum I > think), and the school might struggle to fund it once the grant money > was spent. Do any of you know of, and can recommend, a system that > does similar things and is cheaper to run? > > Also, if anyone has experience of applying for a Foyle grant that they > would be happy to share, I'd love to hear from you. > > I'd be happy to summarize replies for the list if there is any > interest. > > Kind regards, > Lindsay Jones > -- > Reference Department > Cambridge University Library