Follett Destiny Library Manager Reviews & Product Details

What I find most useful about the Library Manager from Destiny is how easy it is to use and implement. We use it every day in the library for checkout, finding books, and usage data. I particularly appreciate the integration with Titlewave. It makes it very easy to get new books into the system and onto shelves quickly. I really like the Collection Analysis tool so I know what areas of the collection need my focus. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

While we really enjoy using the library manager, I do wish the client side was a little more configurable. It works pretty well, but getting teachers trained in how to use it is challenging and we would be able to get more use out of it if less training was necessary to implement. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

District cataloging is fairly simple

Patrons uploads are easy to automate

Variety of reports that are easy to use and customize

Daily use for circulation, reports, and collection management

Integrates well with Google SSO for our district

Can send email reports straight from the site

Responsive customer service Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's too easy to create duplicate records for items with multiple ISBN's and hard to remove them

More customization options in reports would be useful

Customer service sometimes doesn't have the answers and can take a while to contact now that the company has split into two parts Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I appreciate most about Follett is its user-friendly approach to cataloging new books. The platform’s widespread use among librarians worldwide makes it highly likely to find MARC records for most books, simplifying the process to just adding a copy to the library.

Additionally, I value the tools Follett offers for analyzing collections. These features make it easier to assess cultural sensitivity and diversity within the library’s holdings, helping us identify gaps and make informed decisions when purchasing new books.

Lastly, the updated interface is a standout improvement. Its interactive design, especially the new sticky note feature, enhances usability and streamlines daily tasks. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

while the system offers excellent cataloging options, some MARC records may occasionally require manual adjustments, which can be time-consuming. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the organization of the system - things are always categorized in such a way that I can find my way 9/10 times on my own. The 1/10 time, I consult their help feature, or online forum. I like that the interface is not flashy - it's unobtrusive and easy on the eyes. I like features such as resource lists, patron history, and the myriad of reports that I can run to help me with collection management and collecting overdue books. I really love how well the system speaks with Titlewave, so that when I place orders through Titlewave, I can easily import the records and view the metadata. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I wish that the system was more compatible with my school's learning management system, BlackBaud. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the amount of options it has for reports on Library materials and also for Patrons. I love being able to see my whole collection of books in one secure website.

Another great quality is the preloaded information about books when you add a new title, it saves a lot of time when putting new books in the system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I do not like that I am not able to see the complete history of a book. For example, if I change the barcode on a book, I will never be able to view the previous barcode it once had. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Over time, we've been able to make fairly good use of the robustness of the system. As the Administrator for our district of 22 schools there is so much more I could be doing if I had more time in my job for it; this system can do things I have no time to implement (e.g. ILL, district reporting, etc.).

I love that I can call a real person and get patient assistance to work through any problem I am facing. I rely on the tech help line to a huge degree and all staff that work on that are amazing!

I do appreciate the effort and training offered on updates, features, webinars, etc. Follett works hard to keep people informed. The Users Network meeting, when it's offered, is always very helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Implementation was less than complete; key tech issues surfaced as time went on that I felt should have been planned for and addressed during implementation (e.g. CAD vs. USD currency issue in our records could have been prevented if appropriate clean-up had been done during implementation).

Aesthetic isn't pretty, and layout isn't always very intuitive or user-friendly. I hear this feedback when I train new people on the system. Important info or links are sometimes too tiny (e.g. the phrase "see all" on the Title details tab).

Canadian customers suffer; this US developed product doesn't offer full functionality to CA customers (e.g. we can't use the Follett smtp authentication, so we have had to build an in-house solution), and the cultural lens through which data is seen doesn't accurately reflect Canadian library culture (e.g. subject groupings are different) - we sometimes have to ask ourselves: what would this be if we were in the US? Or, is this limitation on functionality because we are a Canadian-hosted customer? None of this was explicitly explored during implementation, either.

There is some functionality I am truly surprised has not been considered in development! (I does sometimes cause me to wonder if experienced library assistants and cataloguers did much test-driving of the product in development!) For example, I cannot add a new subject heading to a group of titles; I can only replace an existing one. A key example of this is our need to add the subject heading of "Indigenous peoples" to all appropriate titles that don't currently have this to better reflect contemporary subject headings. The only way to add a new subject heading to all these hundreds of titles across the district is to do that one by one. This kind of functionality should be a given, not an enhancement request.

Integration with Overdrive/SORA is not seamless as it should be and as it was presented; it can be summed up as both vendors pointing the finger at the other with no adequate solution for the customer caught in the middle to be found! This has caused our usage of SORA to suffer. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The existing catalog is robust and it does its job. We use it daily and it has only been down once while I've been a librarian. It was easy to learn how to use and train new users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The support for it is abysmal. We have reached out about issues but because we are not in a US time zone, the support does not address issues in a timely manner and has not allowed us real time assistance. The format is very old fashioned as well. The features are not fully activated or can't be used. this is perhaps due to the support not helping us fully integrate the features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

At its most basic level, it functions. It has records of our titles, which are kind of searchable, and tracks material checked in/out (though there is a glitch with check in/out, so I can't even say that works well). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Follett does not support school libraries. They have made no improvements to make our jobs easier and Follett Destiny is a terrible cataloging system. It is clear that the people in charge have no idea what school librarians need to do their job.The reporting capabilities are truly horrendous. Technical support always tells us to "submit enhancement requests" that go nowhere. Instead, Follett focuses on pushing out a terrible AI product, just to say that they've got AI, rather than making improvements that school librarians actually need. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I have been in the school library business for a few decades and Follett has always been there with me like an old friend. I find it straightforward and easy to use without any special training, and deeply appreciate the features that allow smooth and fun functioning of the program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Sometimes I have had to turn to the Internet or colleagues for additional information on how to do certain things within Follett. There may be a way to click for more information or help, but it wasn't obvious enough for me to see it so I went outside the program for answers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find the resource lists and report features so helpful in planning for library services and teacher needs. The reports have been amazing to advocate for the library with our school admin and I love how they help with collection development as well. Destiny is the first tab I open every morning and the last I close every evening - my most useful piece of software by far! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Our district library manager is hosted by the county and that can be problematic - we have had issues with being logged out mid day this year across the district. Follett support has been very helpful as we navigate these issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.