Polaris Debuts SimplyReports

-- Library Journal, 5/7/2007

Polaris Library Systems has cut the ribbon on SimplyReports, a web-based ad hoc reporting tool, which CEO Bill Schickling discussed with LJ at last summer's ALA Annual in New Orleans. The vendor said that using the interactive forms in SimplyReports, librarians can "create over 150,000 custom reports in the Polaris ILS without knowledge of SQL, relational databases, or the structure of the Polaris ILS database." Polaris said the end user selects the specific data elements (patron records, items, holds, bibliographic records, and serials holdings) from drop-down menu combinations, "and the software walks the user through the rest." Users can refine their reports through a set of filters, and reports can be done individually or in groups.