Weakness

• Inefficient as there is too wide a variety of books. ie if users want to find a particular book and key in the data in Ang Mo Kio library, computer may give the location of book in Queenstown. Problem: will the users travel so far just to get one book?
• Not up-to-date: for OPAC and Self system, users cannot use mouse and can only navigate through keyboard.

The Design and Implementation of Systems.

SILAS maintains a national bibliographic database which also serves as a national union catalogue.

This online data network links 121 national, public, acedemic and special libraries and book suppliers in Singapore.

It contains:

• 7.84 million bibliographic records: books, serials, music, visual materials, maps, computer files, archives and manuscripts from the world over
• 2.49 million holding statements
• 8.71 million vocabulary records
• In FY 97, 5,662,198 transactions and searches were done.

User-Friendly

The systems are user-friendly as they provide clear instructions with regards to the usage of it. Most people are able to use it without much difficulty.

Maintenance.

The systems are easily maintained and it is done in-house as there are standbys technicians to come when called.

Competitors' System

Competitors such as school libraries, bookshops and rentals shop do not have better systems.For instance, Temasek Polytechnic uses Dynix system whereas Nation Library uses Unix. SILAS already links most major public, academic and special libraries in Singapore. More than seven millions records including books, serials, music, visual materials, maps, computer files, archives and manuscripts from all over the world are contained in the SILAS database.

It is also quite unlikely that competitors will be planning for better systems because the current systems which competitors are using, are able to meet their requirements and they do not have the necessary capital to improve or invest in new systems.

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