ORT Israel – Colleges and Schools for Advanced Technology and Sciences

World ORT is a non-profit, non-political organization with past and present activities in more than 100 countries. ORT's objective is to meet the educational and vocational requirements of students worldwide preparing them for the future.

The ORT Israel network incorporates 160 educational institutions which provide knowledge to over 100,000 students annually.

The Need

Ort Israel wanted to computerize its entire network of 60 libraries across the country, located in various educational institutions. In addition, Ort Israel wanted to allow its students access to the libraries, via the Internet.

The Solution

Ort Israel selected the IDEA@LIB system, a comprehensive library automation solution. The system includes a cataloging system for an unlimited number of titles, a special module for periodicals, multimedia support, an advanced search mechanism, an Internet/Intranet interface and additional features.

Implementation

IDEA Information Systems, together with ORT Israel’s IT Department, computerized ORT Israel’s 60 libraries. The project included the launching of the libraries on the Internet, enabling the students and other users to enter each library through a single central site.

The Benefit

One unified network of 60 libraries: With IDEA@LIB not only was each library computerized, but also an Internet-based network of 60 libraries was created. The students can search for books and other items anywhere, anytime, using a single screen on their own PC. IDEA@LIB includes a special indexing system, including referrals to relevant websites. The student can search for items using a “Panoramic Search” that encompasses all 60 libraries. The user interface displays a search window and a list of various fields (author, book name, topic, additional information, etc.), with options for various search methods, and the search returns a list of the libraries where the item can be found.

The system allows the librarians to create an information center in addition to the library collection, cooperate between libraries, and rapidly and efficiently provide the users with information.

The Technology

IDEA@Lib for libraries, IDEA Internet module, IDEA Panorama module, Oracle DB, Sybase Enterprise Application Server, IIS web server

“Due to the unified systems the students can use hundreds of thousands of titles, repositories stored on CD-ROMs, video cassettes and other educational items, all of which can be found and ordered via the Internet” .

Yaakov Sapir, ORT’s Chief Information Officer