--- title: Sierra ILS Reviews meta_title: 'Sierra ILS Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 25 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Sierra ILS works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.0 review_count: 25 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-07' parent_category: name: Education url: https://www.g2.com/categories/education --- # Sierra ILS Reviews **Vendor:** Innovative, a ProQuest Company **Category:** [Library Management Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/library-management-systems) **Average Rating:** 4.0/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 25 ## About Sierra ILS Sierra is a library system that provides automated workflows, integrated resource management, and open access to data. ## Sierra ILS Reviews ### 1. Evaluating Sierra ILS: Pros, Cons, and Key Takeaways **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Raj V. | Director, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 20, 2024 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** Comprehensive Functionality, Customizable and Flexible and User Friendly interface **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** Cost, Complexity, User Interface and implemention time **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Efficient Catalog Management, Improved Aquisition Workflow and Streamlined circulation ### 2. It may look like it’s from 2004, but it works! **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kat D. | Youth Services Coordinator, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 16, 2021 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** It takes less than a couple days to get used to the system. Learning the different functions is very intuitive and I love that once you feel comfortable, you can start using hot keys and get real fast tabbing between different functions **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** Sometimes it is difficult to tell item records with multiple types apart. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sierra ils is a well oiled engine. It is consistent and easy to use and it's very hard to mess things up really bad. So in this sense, Sierra makes it easy to do the tasks we need to complete. ### 3. An ideal and intuitive solution for academic libraries **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Emily R. | Library Assistant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 19, 2021 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** I have used Sierra for multiple years at two different libraries, beginning when I was a student worker. The basic circulation functions in Sierra have an easy learning curve, and I felt competent quickly. Student workers at my current institution have a similarly easy time learning to use Sierra. Several years after my student worker postion, when I began a new job at a different institution as permanent staff, I could easily pick up where I left off and added new skills across functions in Sierra. "Create Lists" proves to be absolutely crucial and very helpful in our efforts to inventory our collection through shelf reading. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** I don't have any particular qualms with Sierra. Some of the more complicated functions do take some time, but once you learn the shortcuts and understand the process, it's no issue! We have experts on our team who provide training in the more involved functions of Sierra, and with their help, this software is smooth running machine keeping us organized, providing data, and centralizing our services. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sierra has streamlined our academic library system and efficiently connects us to academic libraries across Ohio affiliated with OhioLINK. By connecting us with OhioLINK, Sierra makes it possible to provide millions of library materials to our patrons that would otherwise be unavailable to our campus community. While OhioLINK is a unique feature of Ohio academic libraries and is not available nationally, Sierra truly has made the process of connecting our libraries possible. ### 4. Sierra **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Libraries | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 06, 2021 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** I like some of the flexibility of the Sierra system. I really like being able to search for library patrons through the barcode on their card, via their name, and via their address. I like being able to help them search for books through the system and place a book on hold for them. The syetem allows me to check out a book to a patron via the books barcode by scanning it or by typing it in manually. I am also able to update their library card info in the system by accessing their record and editing it. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** I dislike the fact that the system hasn't had a software update in ages. It is a sound system, but it would be infinitely better if there were some software enhancements. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sierra allows a library to search for a book throughout the system to which it is connected. This helps patrons receive the books that they want in a very timely manner. I like the fact that patrons of any library in the system can check out a book, CD, DVD, or magazine at any connected library as long as they possess an active library card that is part of the system. ### 5. Very simple to use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Music | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 24, 2019 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** Easy to look up books on this system and track fines **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** I did not have any issues with Sierra when I used it **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Helps me track fines , fine books easily and see what’s been checked out ### 6. Easy to navigate **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Libraries | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 15, 2019 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** Sierra ILS is a very intuitive ILS. With one software there are many functions. You can also have separate logins for separate tasks. I like the **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** If an item is available in multiple formats it is hard to differentiate the separate records. The limiters for limiting results are not to the most helpful. You also cannot use multiple functions at once or have separate tabs for separate functions. For example, if you want to check out and also have a tab/window for discharging items, there is no way to do that. **Recommendations to others considering Sierra ILS:** I recommend it! **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Cataloging, searching for records, placing holds for patrons, checking out books, discharging books ### 7. Sierra ILS is great for library use **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Libraries | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 06, 2018 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** Sierra ILS has provided my library a simple, yet precise program that is extremely efficient. We use it for checking books in and out, checking the records of patrons, making modifications to records, among others uses. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** While I do like the Sierra ILS program very much, I do think that it could use a more modern interface. **Recommendations to others considering Sierra ILS:** It might take a while to get used to but you will end up loving the ease of using this interface. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sierra ILS has facilitated our jobs by allowing us to more efficiently perform book transactions with our patrons. It is also very user friendly and easy to use. Even some of our faculty that is over 50 years of age has no trouble using the software. ### 8. I use Sierra to checkout and check in books and laptops. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Higher Education | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 13, 2018 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** I like how easy it is to lookup people’s student is number using their name. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** I dislike the pop ups other employees put in that say things like “valid I’d required” or “check for two dvds”. **Recommendations to others considering Sierra ILS:** Go for it! **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** Without Sierra we would be stuck checking out books by stamping the inside and would be back in time a decade or more. ### 9. Sierra has some flaws **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 27, 2018 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** Sierra is a very easy program to use. There are also macros that can be made to make it even simpler and quicker. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** Sometimes Sierra tends to freeze and shut down on its own. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helps us check patron accounts. ### 10. Super simple, almost too simple **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Libraries | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 21, 2017 **What do you like best about Sierra ILS?** I like that is is very easy to use and intuitive to learn. The public side is also easy to navigate, actually I use this more often then the other interface. Paying fines and dealing with customer's records is simple. It is easy to make library cards. I like the demographic information you can choose to provide. **What do you dislike about Sierra ILS?** When finding items, it is a little difficult to tell if the item is available at a specific location. I also dislike the way the records appear. You have to press a + sign to make them visible and often times the records are duplicated. The various search functions are not broad enough, there should be more keyword search options. Making library cards is a little tricky. If you mess up information you have to start over. **Recommendations to others considering Sierra ILS:** It is a good ILS. Like any ILS it has it's ups and downs, but it gets the job done. **What problems is Sierra ILS solving and how is that benefiting you?** public catalog, circulating items, paying fines, circulation reports ## Sierra ILS Discussions - [What is Sierra ILS used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sierra-ils-used-for) - [What is SirsiDynix Symphony?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sirsidynix-symphony) - [What is ILS in library world?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-ils-in-library-world) - [What is Polaris ILS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-polaris-ils) - [What is Sierra library system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sierra-library-system) - [View Sierra ILS pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/sierra-ils/reviews/sierra-ils-review-2961173?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-22+13%3A33%3A32+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=c5dec7c0-3007-40b7-9a00-04b4ce13808d&secure%5Btoken%5D=f20591ecf7f6493abbc15ba82fc8983ed7cfff4ec61f5a8a8fdee85b4cfd59a2&format=llm_user) ## Top Sierra ILS Alternatives - [Alma](https://www.g2.com/products/ex-libris-alma/reviews) - 3.3/5.0 (23 reviews) - [SirsiDynix Symphony](https://www.g2.com/products/sirsidynix-symphony/reviews) - 3.7/5.0 (16 reviews) - [Follett Destiny Library Manager](https://www.g2.com/products/follett-software-follett-destiny-library-manager/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (430 reviews)