--- description: Review of Mandarin Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/software_advice/og_logo-55146305bbe7b450bea05c18e9be9c9a.png title: Mandarin | Reviews, Pricing & Demos - SoftwareAdvice GB --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Library Automation Software](/directory/4175/library-automation/software) > [Mandarin](/software/94742/mandarin) # Mandarin Canonical: https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/94742/mandarin Page: 1 / 4\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/94742/mandarin?page=2) > Mandarin is a web-based catalog management solution designed specifically for library departments in schools and universities. Mandarin empowers librarians and administrators to maintain the digital library catalog, create custom library reports, view item circulations, and managed physical item inventory. With Mandarin's catalog module, administrators and librarians are able to create a customizable digital library system, tailor-made for their students. Catalog managers can create and modify item records with simple/advanced catalog editors and customizable templates. For existing library records, Mandarin is able to centralize library records or provide additional reporting capabilities with MARC import and export functionality. For front-end capabilities, students are able to find the right library resource using word search, advanced filters, recommended item widget or a digital catalog gallery. For every item in the catalog, librarians can view booking status, student ownership history, and check-in and check-out times. Within the catalog system, librarians can apply and process late charge and fees while also sending email notifications for items overdue. All of this information can be gather and created into reports using Mandarin report generator for easier inventory management. With this reporting tool, Mandarin offers over 900 pre-formatted reports and customizable reports to choose from. Mandarin is able to support Unicode for cross-language catalog support. > > Verdict: Rated **4.7/5** by 60 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.7/5** | 60 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.4/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.9/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.8/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.2/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Mandarin Library Automation - **Founded**: 1986 ## Commercial Context - **Starting Price**: US$500.00 - **Pricing model**: Other (Free version available) - **Pricing Details**: Annual subscriptions for Mandarin, cloud-hosted, range from $500-$950 depending on library size and patron numbers. On-premise pricing carries a one-time purchase fee of $1250, then $780 annually for each site to cover services and updates. - **Target Audience**: Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Mac (Desktop), Windows (Desktop), Windows (On-Premise), Chromebook (Desktop) - **Supported Languages**: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese - **Available Countries**: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia and 152 more ## Features - Alerts/Notifications - Barcode/Ticket Scanning - Barcoding/RFID - Catalog Management - Church Libraries - Circulation Management - Customisable Branding - Customisable Reports - Customisable Templates - Customization - Data Import/Export - Equipment Tracking - Fee Collection - Full Text Search - Historical Reporting - Inventory Management - Multi-Language - OPAC - Online Catalogue - Order Management ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) ## Category - [Library Automation Software](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/directory/4175/library-automation/software) ## Related Categories - [Catalogue Management Software](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/directory/4559/catalog-management/software) - [Library Automation Software](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/directory/4175/library-automation/software) ## Alternatives 1. [Surpass](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/370196/surpass) — 4.8/5 (128 reviews) 2. [MEDAD Library Services Platform](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/369357/medad-library-services-platform) — 4.0/5 (5 reviews) 3. [T.M.A.S.](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/242151/t-m-a-s) — 4.8/5 (28 reviews) 4. [Apollo](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/370624/apollo) — 4.8/5 (6 reviews) 5. [Alexandria](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/322364/alexandria) — 4.8/5 (24 reviews) ## Reviews ### "Mandarin is a great library software\!" — 5.0/5 > **Verified Reviewer** | *1 May 2019* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Love that it is easy to learn and has fantastic customer support\! Much easier to use than larger library software systems I've used in the past. The conversion from the old system to this one was very smooth. Very affordable. > > **Cons**: Having to switch between the Equipment, Textbook and General Library databases is sometimes confusing. One often forgets on the first search for an item and has to go back and re-search. > > Overall Mandarin has been wonderful for managing our library needs. Reports, email to patrons, entering books, etc. all go fairly smoothly. When we do have a problem or question Mandarin support is quick to respond and great to work with. ----- ### "School Library Complete Solutions - Amazing Ability to Meet Your Students/Staff Needs" — 5.0/5 > **Mary** | *30 January 2019* | Primary/Secondary Education | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: We are a Classical School Pre-K thru 12 - This software has made my job easier and saves me time. The transition from our old system to Mandarin was amazing. I was happy with the ease of implementing the new system and tech support patiently guided any questions. I can't say enough good things about tech support - I love the speed \& ease of inputting new records and barcodes for classroom sets of books in minutes. Physical barcodes are easily printed - a budgetary savings. I love the visual search - parents and students can link to ebooks, public library resources, college prep, homework helps, audio books, whatever I want to create a link for assisting research and resources - the world is at our disposal. Parents can easily email and send book requests. An economical high quality services for private schools with small library budgets. Technical support is amazing 24/7 and they are great teachers. Training library help is very easy. There is no need to purchase MARC record as the record fetch has most titles and it is very easy to create your own record. I highly recommend this software for ease of use and ability to expand circulation options. We separate textbooks and general library but it is all in the same catalog. Teachers easily check out their classroom textbooks. I am re-cataloguing sets of elementary books and tech support makes global call number changes saving the time of bringing up each title to change the record. > > **Cons**: What is there not to like? I love this software\!\!\! > > Mandarin Library creates a public face for our school that expands the resources that we can house on campus. It is a great marketing tool of academic resources that we can easily put within student/parent reach. I love the customized look I can give to my home page. Mandarin Library is a fun and intuitive program that meet budgetary constaints while allowing me to expand in new ways. I was nervous about learning a new system and found the changes made everything easier in library management. Again, Technical Support is a phone call away and they are the most patient, kind staff of experts that speaks volumes about this company. ----- ### "Review of Mandarin" — 2.0/5 > **Stella** | *25 April 2019* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 5.0/10 > > **Pros**: Can be accessed on any computer Great technical support > > **Cons**: The transfer of data from our old system to this one was mediocre at best (Came on board when the transfer had already occurred). I have to visit EVERY book and re-enter spine info. Also quite a few books were lumped in as bib-holdings for totally different books. I understand the imported data may have been in very bad shape as well. However the ability to change multiple records in Mandarin is time consuming and extremely cumbersome. I would have liked to see rows of books in spreadsheet format and be able to edit that way. As it is TOO many screens to scroll to before you can make the edits. > > Okay. Tech support is amazing, though. ----- ### "Mandarin Fan\!" — 5.0/5 > **Laurie** | *30 January 2023* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Mandarin is so easy to learn and use. And on those ocassions when I don't find the answer, their customer service responds with efficiency. > > **Cons**: Nothing to report. Apparently I need more characters in this reponse to make if valid. Still, nothing to report. > > Learning a new system, as a new librarian, with hundreds of patrons, was a daunting position. However, I am consistently pleased with their support through the years. ----- ### "I Love Mandarin" — 5.0/5 > **Chad** | *8 March 2022* | Libraries | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Easy to use. Value for the money. Quick response to customer service inquiries. Records (new enrollments) automatically update from SIS (FACTS/RenWeb). Record Fetch is great\! > > **Cons**: OPAC not customizable enough. Financials do not integrate with SIS (FACTS/RenWeb). > > The switch to Mandarin from RenWeb library was a breeze. They handled all of it on their end. After a small learning curve I was up and running, with SO many more tools at my disposal than I ever had before... things I didn't even know I needed but now couldn't imagine going without. We used RenWeb because it was built-in to the SIS we already paying for. It was EXTREMELY bare bones, but it was free. Mandarin was an enormous step up at a great price. I wish I had switched sooner. ----- Page: 1 / 4\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/94742/mandarin?page=2) ## Links - [View on SoftwareAdvice](https://www.softwareadvice.co.uk/software/94742/mandarin) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | en | | | en-AU | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-NZ | | | fr | | ----- ## Structured Data