The table above shows that Follett is much more popular than Athena. At least in the United States, according to "Reshuffling the Deck" by Marshall Breeding (Library Journal, 1 April 2006). But since Follett just bought Sagebrush, the maker of Athena, those who are currently choosing between Follett and Athena should probably go with the former.
If your library has the necessary resources and has no need for "Free Library Software," you may want to check out the following before making any decisions regarding acquiring or replacing software:
- Automating Libraries and Virtual Reference - ALA's annotated bibliography of useful books, articles and websites
- Library Technology Guides - Archive of articles on automation by Marshall Breeding, plus information on which libraries are using what software, and news and company databases
- Company Profiles - Annotated list of companies included in the article mentioned at the start of this post
Category: Technical Services
