HIT: Follett Unison Don'ts...

[Chris Hart <hartc@OSCEOLA.K12.FL.US>]

Thanks for all the responses they are listed below.  It's nice to know that
you can get answers when you need them.  It seems that we do have Follett
Techs lurking on the list.  I got a call from Mary Lou Endres (hope the
last name is spelled correctly) today from Follett's Tech. Services.  What
great response time:-)  Mary Lou stated the following to me via the phone
and I thought I would pass it along.

1.  She stated that as of version 1.22 of the unsion product you should be
able to have as many people cataloging on your network at one time as you
need.  She did mention that their were possibly some problems with having
multiple people cataloging at the same time on versions previous to 1.22,
but these were addressed and fixed in version 1.22.

2.  She stated in response to the UPS on the cataloging station that you
should have one.  So anyone that is planning on installing a Follett system
should add that into their budget.  She did mention that you could save a
little bit by just having a UPS with enough plugs to power just the
multiple cataloging CPU's (ie. not the monitors).

3.  My third concern was cataloging items via a Novell 4.x network on a Mac
with a DOS compatible card.  She felt that it would be fine to do this, BUT
would have a Mac Follett Tech. call me tomorrow to answer this question
100%.  I have not tried this in the last couple of months due to the fact
that I didn't want to have to come into my Media Center over the weekend to
rebuild everything, but will wait and see:-)  I'll post another response in
the next couple of days regarding this issue.

Here are all the other responses:
---------------------------------
>Chris Hart wrote:

> 1.  Do you ever have more than one person cataloging at a time?  If so how
> many?

>>This was Follett before Unison, but we had up to 3 people cataloging
>>at one time.

> 2.  What happens to your system while cataloging if you work at a school that
>     gets hit by lightening all of the time and your power goes out
>     periodically?

>>Get a GOOD power back-up system.

> 3.  Do you have your cataloging stations hooked up to a UPS (Un-interuptable
>     Power Supply)?

>>Yes, see #2.

> 4.  Do you own a Macintosh with a DOS compatible card that is able to access
>     your Follett Unison System?

>>No, but we have the software on our server so Macs can access the system
>>from >>the classrooms. We have a license for 20 computers on at a time.

> 5.  Have you ever tried to catalog using your Mac with a DOS card?

>>No

>>Mary Childs
>>Bloomington, MN
-----------------
>I have only the stand-alone Unison version of Circ+, but I experienced the
>same database corruption due to power failures that you encountered.  Our
>building is on a hill, old and subject to power fluctuations at even the
>best of times, and (I suspect) not wired to code (we still have numerous
>outlets in the building that are not grounded.)

>After my third time in two weeks rebuilding the database, I purchased the
>UPS.  It has been worth far more than its worth in gold!  It's been two
>years and I haven't had to rebuild since.  The UPS was only $99 on our
>county contract, so they aren't that expensive compared to the expense of
>down-time to rebuild corrupted files.

>Va. Martin
-----------
>Chris, don't know the answer to most of your questions, but when we put Unison
>on three research computers (I have all PC) we could only catalog at one
>station until we put one Alliance Plus cd in each of two computers.  My
>assistant works at the circulation desk cataloging donated materials with
>older copyright dates using one CD which has older copyright and I work at a
>research station with the newer materials and the CD with recent copyright. We
>cannot access Cataloging from the dummy terminals at all.

>The UPS is on the server although I am happy to say we have had few problems.
>When the weather looks bad I start turning things off. Last June and this
>Christmas I unplugged everything, even the server, when we went on break.
>Don't know what it will be like when the campus is fully wired, etc.

>I had 1 circ station, 3 catalog stations and 1 research computer but I've
>added 2 research computers, networked them onto the server and, even though
>they are  Win 95, put the card catalog on them.  I also have a Mac but it's
>mostly for typing papers.  My next goal is to get a CD tower for the research
>computers and install my Fortres on Win 95.

>Good luck

>Emma A. Zell
>St. Johns Country Day School
>Orange Park, FL
-----------------------------
>Chris - I'm very (make that *very*) interested in what you learn about
>cataloging at more than one station at the same time.  We just converted to
>Unison.  Right now its not a problem as we aren't networked, have four
>stand-laones (no big loss without some small gain, I guess).  But as soon as
>I get the network going...it will definitely be a problem.  I will look for
>your hit.  I do not love Unison, having used Winnebago some years back and
>having found it MUCH simpler.  But Unison I have and Unison is what I gotta
>live with.

>--
>Johanna Halbeisen
>Woodland Elementary School(K-4)
>Southwick, Mass
>jhalbei@k12.oit.umass.edu
--------------------------------
>Dear Chris,
>     We have been using Follett Unison for several years and have 2 people
>cataloging at one time without a problem.  When power goes out we have to
>reboot out Novell Network but Unison is not corrupted at all.  We are IBM
>school with about 100 statiions on Unison at the present but eventally all
>classrooms will be linked to the library and Unison.  Our computer man thinks
>Unison is a good program and causes very few problems as in comparison we had
>to take Grolier Enc. off as it was causing all kinds of problems.  So what I
>see is that the way your computer network is set up is the key to all the
>difficulties you are encountering.  Joan Lundgard
--------------------------------------------------

Chris Hart
Library Information Specialist
Poinciana High School
Kissimmee, FL
Wk#:  (407) 870-4860 x 233
hartc@osceola.k12.fl.us
Web Site:  http://www.phs.osceola.k12.fl.us