Getting started
How do we get started?
Reach out through the contact form and our team will walk you through onboarding — setting up your libraries, migrating your existing catalog, and granting staff and student access.
Can we import our existing catalog from Koha or SLiMS?
Yes. We import your records, copies, and members directly, with a preview of exactly what will import before anything is committed — original MARC is retained for every migrated title.
Does switching mean re-typing everything?
No. Migration is designed to bring your catalog over intact, plus a batch-polish queue and AI enrichment to fill in any gaps automatically.
Does every school get their own account?
Yes. Each school is set up as its own isolated account, separate from every other school on the platform.
Do we need to hire IT staff to run this?
No — we build, host, and maintain the platform. There's no separate infrastructure for your school to manage.
Data & security
Is student data kept separate between schools?
Yes — every school's data, including members, borrowing history, and publications, is fully isolated from every other school.
Who can see student borrowing history?
Only staff at that student's own school, according to their role permissions. Other schools never have access.
Can we export our data if we ever leave?
Yes. Standard MARC (MARCXML or .mrc) can be exported per title or in bulk at any time — your data stays provably portable.
Cataloging
Does cataloging require manual data entry?
Not usually — barcode scanning, PDF/EPUB import, URL import, and AI-assisted metadata generation handle most of it.
What's the difference between Simple and Advance mode?
Simple Mode is a guided, automated wizard — title and author in, and the system fills the rest. Advance Mode adds a cataloging-depth step for edition, series, MARC fields, and identifiers, for records that need full bibliographic detail.
Is full MARC still kept for imported records?
Yes. Every record keeps its complete bibliographic package under the hood — simplicity is just the view librarians work in day to day.
Using the platform
Can we run more than one library?
Yes. Copies, shelves, and stock are tracked per library location, with search available school-wide across all of them.
What kinds of content can students publish?
Staff-approved student organizations can publish digital magazines and newsletters, kept in a catalog separate from books and ebooks, with threaded comments.
Do students need a separate login if we already use Essentiel SMS?
No. If your school already subscribes to Essentiel, we connect those existing credentials directly — no separate sign-up or parallel user list.
Is there a mobile app for reading digital books?
A dedicated student mobile reading app is currently in development. Today, digital titles are available directly through the platform.