We are working to make our library search system more accessible for students to find books that cover Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC) and Accelerated Reader (AR) criteria. I know there are a lot of differing opinions on these programs and I have written about the AR program in particular before. However, using this program is not up to me, I am just the one resourcing it and making it accessible.
After a little playing around I found our Library Management System (LMS) would let us import the PRC titles so that PRC would show up as a note and be searchable by students. As my assistant and I discussed this I thought, how good would it be if we could do this with AR titles? And furthermore have the AR and PRC specific levels show up on the student’s search screen so they can find what they want more easily!
We wrote to our LMS provided asking these questions. This ended up becoming a phone call and several more messages back and forth…
Hi Sarah, thanks for taking my call.Here is what we discussed:
1. ALL bib data from SCIS in your catalog is data owned by SCIS and copyrighted by them and cannot be shared or distributed to other third parties especially commercial businesses like the reading program sites – that’s the official word from SCIS.
2. However, ANY third-party reading level company can provide ISBN numbers with the reading level and we will import it and update your catalog with the reading levels.
3. If you provide us with your reading level supplier contact details, we are happy to ask them for this information and update your catalog and also keep you in the loop of all communications.
I await your urgent response.
Kind RegardsM
I wrote back with the required information and our LMS provider wrote back again after chatting with SCIS and several reading-level companies. They summarised their findings to say:
Hi Sarah,
SCIS has said that the data belongs to SCIS and third parties, especially commercial companies should not be asking schools to provide them with SCIS bib data as it breaches copyright and IP.
SCIS said they will contact the reading level companies to address this, however, the reading level companies should contact SCIS direct to get SCIS permission to have access to SCIS data held by school library systems.SCIS is not happy that these companies are extracting SCIS data without SCIS approval.One company Scholastic said “but thousands of schools do this every year”, and SCIS is not happy about this activity.The best solution for clarity is for the reading level to contact SCIS direct and get a letter from SCIS to provide to the school or the Library vendors so we can provide them with what they want, legally
Hi Sarah,
You raise some very important points here especially now that SCIS is aware of what all these reading programs are up to.I will address your second question first.
2. What SCIS is planning to do with ALL reading programs is get them to provide SCIS a reading level to an ISBN number as soon as one is made OR when there is ANY change to a reading level it will automatically be reflected in the SCIS database.
This way, regardless of what reading program or whatever the reading level is for an ISBN number, schools that have SCIS subscriptions (that’s about 99.99% of schools in Australia) their library system will automatically be updated.And you are correct, this is totally transparent and should be an automatic update.SCIS has assured me this is the outcome they want to achieve especially if all reading programs get on board and it will be a FREE service from SCIS to ALL their subscribers.
In regards to your item 1.
SCIS is saying that IF the reading programs provide them the ISBN number AND reading level, then this reading level will be part of any SCIS import and it will be automatic.You are the first person that has raised this as an issue and how SCIS should be embracing this.
Put simply, a fantastic, simple, and uniform idea across ALL reading programs and ALL library software, similar to a normal SCIS import.
I have communicated this to SCIS on your behalf. They have assured me, this is the way they want to go, moving forward. The impediment for them is getting all reading programs to get on board but they will be pushing for this to happen.
I wish more library staff would be more forward-thinking like you.
Thanks for your insight and forward thinking.
Regards
M
Whoa, just a little idea, asking a few questions, and working with our LMS provider might change SCIS imports making things easier for all schools using reading programs!!!