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This brief review of NOTEbookS is intended as an update to the original review back in December 1997. It has improved a deal
since then and is definitely worth a look if you are a Lotus Notes user. If you have never used Notes before
then the main advantages over other systems will be the level of interworking with other applications like e-mail and the "replication" function. Replication is
unique to the Lotus Notes environment and could be a clinching argument in certain circumstances. More about NOTES and Replication.
Contents
User interface, Library functionality - OPAC, Web, Cataloguing, Acquisitions, Serials, Circulation, Requests, Other functions, Research module, Group working, Localisation, Environment, Replication, Conclusion.
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Lotus Notes based applications share a common style of interface which is consistent and
logical but at first, like all interfaces, takes a while to become familiar and at ease with. The NOTEbookS application look and feel itself is highly customisable and can take on corporate
logos and so on. A key feature of the Notes interface is that documents are organised into categories, e.g. by subject or location. Information about documents within a category can be
easily found by clicking on a "Twistie " to expand or collapse the view of a category.
Most of the functions are now available through a web based interface. All end-user searching
and requesting functions are web enabled, allowing the NOTEbookS library and research functionality to be incorporated into a local intranet.
In addition, a process of web-enabling traditional back-office library management functions is
underway, moving these functions out of the Notes arena into a pure intranet environment. Circulation control is already fully intranet-enabled in this way.
NOTEBOOKS has the full standard set of library functions. 
The OPAC provides two ways of working - you can start with either a "Search" - a keyword
search of one or more indexes/databases or you can "Browse" a particular main field e.g. author, title. The "Search" option works on full text or
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Down pointing Twisters showing detail of acquisitions record |
selected fields - across just NOTEbookS or including the text in attached documents. It is also possible for a search to
include other Lotus Notes databases that might be available e.g. a report file or, contact files which may not be maintained by the library. You can also search CD databases and non-Notes
resources via allowing their executable to be listed as an available database. It is this level of integration with other corporate functions that sets NOTEbookS apart from other similar level of library
products aimed at the corporate library market. Other Search features include relevance ranking, and search term highlighting in the retrieved records.
The browse option presents a column view of fields from the database which can be clicked to sort - a nice modern feature. The full
record can be displayed by clicking on a "Twistie" and, again a nice modern feature, both the list of hits and the full display can be viewed at the same
time. There is a new holdings view to show recently acquired material and it is possible to build customised views to provide non-standard interfaces into the database.
Once you have a set of documents retrieved, then the options for using the results are impressive
- you can create folders of results via "drag and drop", E-mail results to someone - either as text or as a live summary list where people can view circulation status and reserve an item.
"DocLinks" , are links to objects like URLs, word processing fields files etc. - these too can be e-mailed.
Most Lotus Notes applications can be easily tied into the Web environment and NOTEbookS is
no exception. For example all of the search functionality can be performed over the web. This has meant that some of the original advantages of NOTEbookS - being able to replicate and
provide local union catalogues - is now less of an advantage - but this still has its place. Using the Web to access a central NOTEbookS database is an added feature over and above replication.
Cataloguing is simple Notes style form filling with no MARC options, although there is MARC-importing software, and integration with Z39.50 software such as BookWhere
2000, that will allow remote record searching and which will automatically convert incoming MARC data into the NOTEbookS format. Fields with common data can be accessed via
look-ups. There is global editing for subject keywords. While this does not represent a true authority control system - in the target market for this application this should not be a problem.
Is a pretty capable module with ability to create, transmit and receive orders etc. and to handle
the allocation of cost codes etc. There is no actual budget control but this is not normally needed in this level of library system -as it is usually handled outside the library  administration process. In NOTEbookS Acquisitions and Requests (see below) are closely linked and this process
also controls the ILL status of items - see screen shot.
Links to libraries other than BLDSC are via E-mail
The serials module covers cataloguing, ordering, receipt and claiming of serials. There are also links to Table of Contents (TOC), article
cataloguing and routing facilities as well. The integration with Lotus E-mail enables TOCs to be e-mailed, articles to be requested and so on. Some of the routing is self serve from the
OPAC e.g. adding yourself to a routing list or TOC service. You can also clone routing lists, and have multiple routing lists per title.
The main drawback of serials is in the enumeration where the simple rules for incrementing issue
numbers will not handle the more complex journals automatically. The numbering does not automatically flip at the year- end either so these have to be manually adjusted. This may be
okay in a small library but an unwelcome chore otherwise.
NOTEbookS controls the loan of materials to users and will satisfy most corporate librarians.
Nice features include the ability of patrons to look at their own records, see due dates for items and so on.
Requesting is a key function in NOTEbookS. Both requests for in-stock items can be made by
any OPAC user and also users can also submit requests to purchase or borrow (ILL) non-stock items. Requests are e-mailed to the request librarian who can then deal with them as they wish -
they can be forwarded to BLDSC (or other suppliers) as ILL’s or to the acquisitions system as an order. The information passed through to other functions in this way is not text that has to be
re-keyed but records that can be re-directed to another function.
Requests for ILL can be sent via ARTemail to the BLDSC - but there is no other ISO standard
ILL functionality. It is a simple but effective integration of this function and should suffice for all but the very busiest ILL departments.
There are labelling functions with NOTEbookS and also a useful a scripting "Agents" capability
function that allows a library to set up special functions for particular needs without programming. An example might be the automatic e-mailing of a newsletter to users listing new acquisitions
based on their subject preferences.
The research module is designed to control information about requests for information that come
from a user base. Requests can come in via an E-mail form and can then be allocated to the staff member with a response mail being sent back automatically to the requester - this is a
typical Notes application with workflow built into the application around E-mail messaging. Key
features are the ability for costs to be allocated to the form and assigned to the requester's department with external costs e.g. database searches being separately assigned. Costs
can also be analysed on a staff time basis and a questionnaire follow up can provide performance feedback.
Right through NOTEbookS, the groupware capabilities of Lotus Notes are available and used
effectively to provide e-mailing, object linking and workflow control. This level of productivity is only now becoming available in the bigger library systems and many of those would struggle to
achieve this level of interworking.
Although US authored, the software can be localised where necessary - for instance in the UK,
non-calendar fiscal years and an interface to ARTemail haves been provided for dispatching requests to the BLDSC.
There are currently about 150 users of NOTEbookS throughout the world with a growing number
in the UK, including pharmaceutical, professional service and retail organisations. The John Lewis Partnership, a large retail operation in the UK, are the most recent UK customer and are
implementing the software to provide a central Business Information Service. They are also using the system to automate their Learning Centre operations across the entire organisation.
The most recent version of NOTEbookS will run on Lotus Notes version 4.6 and upwards. Web
functionality is delivered via a Domino server. Lotus Notes itself will run under Windows, MAC OS, UNIX and OS/2.
Replication is a powerful feature available in many of Lotus Notes applications that can be the
only answer to some problems. It provides the mechanism for keeping separate databases synchronised. when they are periodically connected. In the library environment, if you have
scattered offices with separate libraries and wish each library to be aware of each other's holdings then automatic periodic replication will allow each library to catch up with the other's
updates. When Notes was first implemented, it was often the only way to keep remote offices in touch without expensive direct links. The Internet has upstaged this feature somewhat by
allowing any branch holdings to be accessed over the web - but there remain scenarios where this may not be appropriate and replication is the only solution.
NOTEbookS is a capable special/corporate library application with some neat features
integrating user functions of requesting and the customer care attributes of feedback and tracking / workflow. If you are using Lotus Notes in your organisation then you must evaluate it.
Bigger libraries might find some areas of serials administration lacking but it has strengths in these areas too and is well worth a look.
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