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Using Destiny, InfoCentre, or similar product?
You might be
inclined to believe you don't need QuizList Interactive because you can use
your web-based library catalog to search for quizzes. Well, as much as your
OPAC is a fantastic solution for your library catalog, it falls short in
trying to be a quiz browser. QuizList Interactive was designed specifically
for your quiz list, while Destiny, et al., was designed specifically for your
library catalog.
Here are some
questions you should ask yourself:
Are you able to find quizzes that you don’t have a book for? Most schools have hundreds or thousands of quizzes that don’t match a book in the library.
If your AR program has a mix of ATOS and preATOS values, does your library system show those values correctly? Most services that update your 526 tags will use only ATOS values.
How do you keep your quiz list current? Your 526 tags will need to be updated each time you order new quizzes, and the only quizzes that will be updated are the ones you have a book for. How much will you be charged to update your 526 tags? How much time will it take to do it manually? Will your quiz list be up-to-date if it is expensive or time-consuming to keep it that way?
Do any quizzes show up in a search that you don’t actually own? Many MARC update services simply add the AR/RC data to every book you own that there is a quiz for. That means you have “quizzes” in your library system you don’t actually own. To be done right, the MARC update service will need to cross-reference your existing quiz list.
QuizList
Interactive is to your quiz list what Destiny is to your library catalog --
neither can do the entire job the other was designed for. With QuizList, your
quiz refresh takes 5 minutes each time you buy new quizzes and you never have
to worry about 526 tags. QuizList will always contain a list of all
your quizzes and they will all have exactly the information they should have.
QuizList enables users to do more specific searches of your quizzes than
Destiny allows and it is a much easier interface to use for quiz searches
since that was what it was designed for.
Also, QuizList
Interactive addresses another important issue: indicating which of your
quizzes you have a book for. Adding the QuizList
Match option allows you to upload your MARC records and match your library
catalog to your quizzes. This enables you to import your call numbers into
your quiz list, making it much simpler for students to make lists of AR or RC
books they want to read and to find those books on your shelves. QuizList
Match also gives you reporting to help you align your quiz and book
collections, with reports like "Quizzes You Need For Books You Own", and
"Books You Need For Quizzes You Own".
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