I had several requests to post my findings on scheduling
software, so here they are. Thanks to everyone for all the
wonderful suggestions!
1. Powerup, a company in San Mateo, CA (I believe it has an 800
# - I can't find a current catalog at the moment) offers several
programs. At least one is a scheduling program. I haven't used
it. I do use (for scheduling the reference desk) Calendar
Creator (under $70). The program has the capability of creating
as many calendars (or as few) as you like. (I make one for each
reference librarian). You can then print out individual
calendars or print out a combined caledar. The entries can be
put in time order for each day. The calendars can be daily,
weekly, monthly, etc.
2. A pretty good program, designed for Library staff, is
"Personnel Scheduler," from Right on Programs, 755 New York Ave.,
Huntington, NY 11743; 516-424-7777, Fax 516-424-7207. The price
is moderate: $249, but it has three blank user fields to include
title/duty assignments in. The Right On Personnel scheduler
blank user fields allow multiple job assignments at different
times for a single worker. You could have a maximum of four tasks
per worker. It also allows vacation, sick time, leave of absence,
holidays, etc. to be scheduled for the library. This is a DOS
program. Unless you want to design a custom application from
dBase or Access, this is the one I would recommend, IMHO.
3. I downloaded a program from
ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/msdos/windows3 called "Scheduling
Employees for Windows" -- I could never get it to run, but it is
shareware, so you might be able to get a working copy of the
program and try it out. I understand it's designed to do just
what you want.
4. I ran a search on the Simtel shareware index and found the
following packages available through FTP at oak.oakland.edu
DIRECTORY FILENAME SIZE DATE DESCRIPTION
=================================================================
msdos/cron/ pep.zip 118055 910414 Painless Event
Processor (program scheduler)
msdos/database/ empsch10.zip 64769 900905 Employee
Scheduler, up to 1 week, 60 employess
msdos/database/ schop11.zip 32431 930410 Optimizes
schedules based on your preferences
msdos/deskaccs/ yrcal17t.zip 64556 900324 Year
calendars/monthly/weekly/daily schedules
msdos/desqview/ dvtman13.zip 34907 910215 Auto event
scheduler/task manager for DESQview
msdos/windows3/ clockr23.zip 111028 940112 Personal/network
program scheduler for Windows
msdos/windows3/ sew200.zip 358615 930706 Employee weekly
scheduler for Windows 3.1
===================================================================
I have fiddled a bit with the last one, it seems to be pretty
good.
5. For $399.00, you can purchase Abacus, a good scheduling
software. Their number is 1-800-726-3339. If that is too
expensive, try checking some of the shareware possibilities. We
have a catalog that lists one that includes two discs, total of a
big $10.00. The toll free number for the catalog of shareware is
1-800-876-3475. The one I saw was called Employee Scheduling.
Go to Comp-USA and you should find a good one for under a $100
bucks. Try Tiger Software catalog at 1-800-888-4437. Tiger
software has a number of the commercially available products, a
number of which will be reviewed in an article my husband, Thomas
O'Connor, wrote for Law Office Computing. Hope this all helps.
Beckie Brothers brothers.3@nd.edu
Serials Coordinator brothb@irishmvs.bitnet
Notre Dame Law Library (219) 631-8113
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