M3 Enhancements
A new Session Save feature that allows librarians to save an inventory session for future retrieval is now available in the M3 Inventory module. M3 Inventory also offers librarians new reporting capabilities, including a statistical list and an option that enables users to track items that are shelved without being returned. An enhanced Barcode Label Printing Utility and improved printing capabilities have also been added to Mandarin M3.

Mandarin M3 now includes new reports that perform tasks such as sorting equipment items by building location and listing items scanned in circulation on a selected day by call number. With these and other new reports, M3 users can now access over 100 pre-loaded reports. SIRS Mandarin technicians continually design new reports and adapt existing ones to fit the needs of M3 users. All new reports are placed on the SIRS Mandarin Web site at http://www.sirs.com and can be downloaded by Mandarin M3 customers.

According to the company, Mandarin M3 is a flexible and powerful library automation system suitable for school, academic, public, and special libraries. M3 incorporates a search engine specifically designed to search MARC records and offers a variety of features that include the following:

• 32-bit client/server architecture with full Windows functionality
• Networkable software with unlimited site licensing 
• Multilingual OPAC (English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian)
• Advanced cataloging and circulation features
• Inventory module
• Customizable report tool
• Serials and acquisitions modules
• Union catalogs and hosting services
• Z39.50 Server and BookWhere 2000 Z39.50 Client software
• Web Gateway OPACs for adults and children

SIRS Mandarin, Inc. is an active participant in the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF), an industry initiative to develop an open specification for ensuring that K-12 instructional and administrative software applications work together more effectively. As part of SIRS Mandarin’s continuing effort to meet the needs of its customers, Mandarin M3 will comply with the standards established by the SIF initiative.
 

Online Databases
The SIRS database purchase provides nearly 150,000 students in Palm Beach County with online access to valuable, age-appropriate full-text articles about the arts and humanities as well as a wide array of documents by and about the U.S. government.

Additionally, the Palm Beach County School Board has renewed licenses to SIRS Researcher and SIRS Discoverer online reference databases. All four SIRS databases are available via SIRS Knowledge Source, an integrated online interface, at 148 elementary, middle, and high school libraries in Palm Beach County.

According to Janeen Pelser, library media services manager for the School District of Palm Beach County, library media specialists throughout the district favored the purchase and renewal of SIRS databases.

"The Palm Beach County School Board views online databases like SIRS as a means of providing all students with access to current information," Pelser said. "We are seeing an increase in the number of searches conducted as educators and students realize how valuable these tools are." Pelser said some county schools’ aging collections have now been updated by their use of SIRS electronic resources.

SIRS database access enables Palm Beach County students to search for information on topics pertaining to art, culture, economics, health, history, science, social issues, technology, U.S. government, and more. SIRS databases contain carefully selected full-text articles, government documents, and graphics from nearly 7,000 respected worldwide publications. Students can choose from a number of easy-to-use search methods in order to locate information for school projects, essays, class presentations, and homework assignments. Students can also travel the globe with Maps of the World, stay on top of national and world news stories from Reuters in Today’s News, browse monthly research topics in Spotlight of the Month, e-mail U.S. congresspersons and federal agencies from the SIRS Government Reporter database, and more.

Source: SIRS Mandarin, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 561/994-0079; http://www.sirs.com.