The document provides an evaluation of the Follett Destiny library automation system. It begins with a brief history of Follett and an overview of Destiny's features, which include user and administrative tools as well as digital content and safety features. Potential areas of concern from user reports are noted, such as issues with printing or adding ebooks. The document recommends Destiny based on its widespread use, up-to-date technology, and ability to meet all of a library's automation needs while advancing into additional educational software.

1. Follett Destiny
Automation System Evaluation

2. Follett Destiny Evaluation Includes:
• a brief history of the Follet Destiny
automation system and company
• current and future direction of the
company
• unique features and other
strengths of the automation
system
• potential areas of concern
• summary and recommendation

3. History
Follett Destiny started out as a small business
venture in Wheaton, Illinois, and migrated throughout
the years from a home business to the leader of its
kind. Founded in 1873, by Charles M. Barnes, the
Follett Corporation now provides one of the most
technologically advanced mediums for learning in the
world.
Today, the headquarters are in River Grove, Illinois.
Eleven year board member, Mary Lee Schneider, is
the current President.

4. Timeline &
Milestones
Facts
• Follett Corporation has been in business
for over 135 years
• Follett employs more than 10,000
associates
• Follett Corporation generates over $2.7
billion in annual sales
• Destiny Library Manager, is by far the
most widely used automation system in
the K-12 arena and has been
implemented by more than half of schools
in the U.S.
• Follett does business in 110 countries
and has more than 70,000 K-12
customers, which reaches more than 35
million students.
• 1957, Follett Corporation was created
• 1997, joined Internet Systems, Inc. in
forming Library Systems, Inc. L.L.C.
• 1999, Follett launched the e-follett.com
web site
• 2001, Follett merged Follett Media
Distribution, which provided audio-visual
to school and public libraries
• 2010, Follett was ranked #155 in Forbes
list of largest private companies
• 2011, the Follett School and Library
Group formed
• 2014 Follett combined their educational
services, library resources and software
company into one entity in order to
provide better service

5. • Follett recently created a partnership with Absolute
Software to create an asset management system to
help schools manage, organize, secure and keep
track of high-dollar items such as computers, tablets,
and smartphones. This is hugely beneficial in
schools for advancing technology to have one
automation system for tracking transactions and
inventory
Current
Direction
• Follett is also investing in ShowEvidence. This is a
software program that assesses both student and
teacher performance
• The current release of Destiny is a student focused
digital learning environment with a cloud-based virtual
bookshelf

6. The Follett Destiny system is designed to make a district’s library more efficient and
effective, by providing engaging tools for students and teachers to find, share and
use digital resources more efficiently, and to support anytime, anywhere learning.
User Centered Features
• Search for available books within the
school’s library
• Easy-to-use
• Fun and engaging search and
discovery interfaces
• See other related books based on a
searches and make booklists with
book selections
• Add friends and share what users
have read, reviewed, recommended,
and what they want to read
• Drag and drop books and websites
into a list and it will format them to
create the citation automatically
Administrative Centered Features
• PreK-12 focused circulation,
cataloging, inventory and reporting
functions
• Direct connection to Follett’s powerful
online collection development and
analysis tools, Titlewave and TitleWise
• SIF-compliant and easy to integrate
with existing student information
systems
• Connects district’s device strategy with
curriculum strategy
• Fast federated search functions make
it easy to promote usage of the best
free and paid database resources
• Follett makes the school library more
efficient and effective at supporting
active student learning
At Risk User Features
• Personalized learning support helps
students with varying learning styles
• Can address students that are at risk,
in need of intervention, or those in
special programs
• Provides solutions for district
accessibility and accountability for all
resources

7. • Follett is available 24/7 and is 100% browser
based for access from any computer connected
to the internet
• Follett’s eBook enhancements allow customers
to move seamlessly between interactive
whiteboards, desktop computers, laptops,
tablets, or smartphones
• Follett allows students to be able to read
anywhere, anytime with the use of virtual
resources available through Follett
• Access to age-graded,
educator-approved
website content
• Access to enriched,
educator-reviewed digital
content and tools that
help students, librarians,
and educators find, share
and use print and digital
resources
• Safe social networking
features to help teach
digital citizenship
Ease and Synchronicity
Features
Safety Features
Digital & eContent Features
• Integrated Follett Shelf™ and BryteWave™ K-12 Edition reader functionality for
access to quality eBook content from leading PreK-12 publishers
• Free mobile apps for students and staff that support BYOD and 1-to-1 initiatives

8. Potential Areas of Concern
Based on input from user forums and personal
experience, one should be aware of any of the following
areas possibly occurring. Please note that most reports
were an isolated incident and wide spread issues were
difficult to find, thus creating further respect for the Follett
Destiny automation system
Numerous users have reported trouble
printing the barcodes and spine labels.
This prompted Destiny to release an
article in their troubleshooting section
about label alignment
If the user exits the
browser without
closing the eBook
first, the title may be
unavailable for up to
15 minutes
While the app is
helpful to check out
multiple books, it can
take longer due to
extra steps needed to
scan a book
Users of Destiny
have experienced
problems when
trying to add
Follett Shelf for
e-books
Users have reported
no “auto-fill” when
searching. If a student
misspells or mistypes
a word, no search
results are yielded,
increasing the need
for assistance

9. Recommended
Recommendation based
on the following lead
attributes:
• User friendly
• Available 24/7
• Little to no negative reviews
• Universally available throughout school
districts, universities and public libraries
• Provides a recognized wide range of
educational tools and services that fuel the
learning process
• Strives to stay up-to-date on the current
trends in technology, which is reflective of
the online Destiny Quest virtual bookshelf,
the ability to write book reviews for students,
the Follett e-reading app and providing open
access to resources and books
• Follett provides everything a library media
center would need for an automation
system, and even is advancing into having
automated software to regulate the
issuance of tablets and laptops for student
use

10. Resources
Destiny Library Manager: Features and Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.follettsoftware.com/destiny-library-features-services
Destiny® Library Manager™. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.follettsoftware.com/library-automation-software
Destiny Quest. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?p=419
Follett Companies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.follettsoftware.com/follett-companies
Follett History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.follett.com/FollettHistory.cfm
Follett Software | K-12 Learning Management Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.follettsoftware.com/?gotopage=details&iGrantID=620&iEnvironmentID=3&DisplayStartRow=1
Greenwich Public Schools: Online Catalog - Follett Destiny. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=786
Home - Follett eBooks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://aboutfollettebooks.com/faqs.cfm
Librarians on the Fly. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://librariansonthefly.blogspot.com/2013/04/app-of-week-follett-destiny.html
Library Technology Guides. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.librarytechnology.org/
LISTSERV 16.0 - LM_NET Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=LM_NET;501d077e.1301
Not So Distant Future. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://futura.edublogs.org/2012/05/12/adding-to-the-e-book-offerings-follett-shelf/

11. Catherine Bullock, Yvonne Casso, Patricia Ireland, & Jennifer Wilson
Summer II LSSL 5396 Computer Science Applications to Librarianship
Dr. Bethel