a) Cheshire County Council chooses the Galaxy system
Cheshire Libraries and Archives Service has chosen the DS Galaxy system for public libraries to take the library service forward into the new millennium.
The service serves a population of 670,000 with 39 libraries and six mobile libraries as well as providing the Education Library Service to schools, a Research Library for officers and members of the Council, a Business Information Service, and the Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies Service. It also manages the Council's network of 14 Information Points and its website. It stocks over a million items, generating more than seven million loans a year to its 220,000 active users. Cheshire lends more books per head of population than any other shire county in the UK.
Cheshire already uses DS CALM for its Archives and Local Studies Service, and has always been interested in innovative approaches: in the 1970s it was one of the first library authorities to implement computerised stock management techniques. It introduced six 'Netpoint' online learning centres in 1997 with help from the DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund, and pioneered public videoconferencing links.
"The library service is on the verge of enormous changes brought about by the revolution in networked information and renewed government interest," said Ray Benton, Cheshire's Information and Systems Manager. "We have chosen DS to help us manage these changes on grounds of design, functionality, cost, and their imaginative and enterprising approach to challenges."
DS Galaxy is used by about one third of all UK public libraries and the system is especially popular in North-West England.
b) DS Group Holdings acquires Crossnet Systems
Information systems company DS Group Holdings has acquired Crossnet Systems Limited, a specialist in interoperability and its application in web portals, in a move to address the fast-growing requirement to enable library, archive and museum users to carry out controlled searches of multiple databases.
With excellent international accessibility at Newbury in the UK, Crossnet is a world leader in the use of the ANSI Z39.50 search and retrieval standard, which supports cross-domain searching. The standard is used widely by information professionals and geospatial communities but is applicable to any structured database.
Crossnet is based in Newbury and will retain its existing staff and offices. It provides consultancy, software development, and training services and was awarded ISO-9000 quality assurance accreditation in 1997. Although a wholly owned subsidiary of DS Group, the company will work separately in order to continue operating as an independent consultancy.
Crossnet has a client list that includes the British Library, the national libraries in France, Germany, Sweden, and Hungary, the European Centre for Space Observation and the European Space Agency Research Institute.
Crossnet is active in many leading-edge national and international projects in the library, museum, archive and geospatial sectors, including the UK National Union Catalogue, MALVINE (Manuscripts and Letters via Integrated Networks in Europe), LEAF (Links & Exploring Authority Files) and ONE-2 (OPAC Network) in Europe. It is also a leading technical partner in the major Europe-wide E-Diamond project, which will produce an e-commerce and e-trading platform to allow content and service providers to offer their end users a single access agreement and a single billing account without the need to enter confidential financial information over the Internet.
Rob Bull, Marketing Director of Crossnet, says "I am very happy that we have found a partner with the stability and financial strength to accelerate our growth. The leading role that the DS Group plays in all sectors of the library and heritage market is another big advantage for Crossnet as it allows us to exploit our technical excellence within a sound and secure business environment."
Nigel Pegg, Managing Director of DS Group Holdings, is also very happy with the acquisition. "This is an important and strategic move for us. The interoperability skills brought into the Group by Crossnet will add significant value to all our activities. It will help develop products that widen access to information, and will further increase the Group's ability to fully participate in cross-domain activities, including regional and other cultural consortia and partnerships."
For further information please contact: Marketing Department, 2 Cedar Office Park, Cobham Road, Ferndown, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7SB, UK. Tel: (01202) 877188 Fax: (01202) 871297 E-mail: marketing@ds.co.uk URL: www.ds.co.uk