ProText

ProText: School Text Books Management Software

ProText has been developed by ProGen a leading educational software development company based in Somerset West. ProText is based in the main, on our very successful ProLib Library Management System, which is now installed in many South African libraries.

The software, designed in consultation with the staff that manage the text books at our schools, was written by graduate computer scientists, and is fully Windows, network and bar code compliant.

  • Approved by the Education Department, Windows, 2000, barcode and network compliant.
  • ProGen can capture your textbook data FOR YOU from an Excel Document , supplied by you, listing titles and numbers of text books.
  • We provide an optional service of printing the barcodes for you. Alternatively you can print them from within the software.
  • All versions of Windows, 2000 and network compliant.
  • Any number of members (learners) can be defined.
  • Any number of text books can be defined, with there being no limit on the number of like textbooks within ProText.
  • Any number of users can operate ProText in parallel. This means that separate “Issuing” and “Returning” stations can be set up around your campus, each operating, for example, at a different Grade or Study Year level.
  • The system is fully bar code compliant. Both books and members can be barcoded. The software is capable of printing its own barcodes.
  • Each book is separately accessioned and fully cross-referenced to each of the entities used in its accessioning and, if required, the subject cataloguing of the text books.
  • You have full control over Issues and Returns.
  • Issues, Returns, Disposals and Deletions can be done at an individual book level or as part of a bulk process.
  • Fines and payments and a Deposits sub-systems are included.
  • Automatic (but optional) fines on overdue books.
  • Disposal of books is reflected in the Accessions Register and a Disposals Register is available as a report.
  • Books in need of Disposal or repair can be "marked" without removing them from the system.
  • The system caters for an optional automatic Return Date. The Textbook Librarian can choose a standard “number of days issued” up to 999 days.
  • Extensive reporting covers every aspect of the Text Book Library. All the reports can be viewed or printed or stored for later printing.
  • Wild card searches allow you to find any book even if part of the title is unknown.
  • A book count facility reports on the number of each type of book in the Collection per year accessioned. All of the statistics required by the Education Department are automatically generated on the one report.
  • Built in security systems allow the Textbook Librarian to secure the data to the network, the Cloud, memory sticks and / or CDs, and to restore data from previous backups.
  • Photographs of the Learners (Members) can be stored within ProText, and they are automatically displayed whenever a book is issued or returned.
  • A multiple copy facility, allows the Text book Librarian to accession one copy of a particular text book, and to then copy the details of that book to any number of text book copies. The copy routine automatically inserts the unique accession number and barcode on each copy. Any number of copies can be duplicated.
  • A facility exists for the condition of each book to be registered and monitored. Statistics by member are automatically recorded so that the text book librarian can be warned of those members that continually return books in a worse state than when they were issued to them.
  • At the start of each year, when a set of text books is issued to the member, a letter of acceptance can be generated for them and/or their parents to sign.
  • On returning the books at year end, an optional letter of receipt can be generated so the member has proof that the books were returned.
  • Notes can be loaded against books and members. These are automatically displayed during the issue and returning processes.
  • The system contains a simple SMS and emailing system so that members can be easily contacted.
  • There is an easy to use, comprehensive manual. The manual is also accessible from within the software using context sensitive searches.
  • All the screens have extensive Lookup, Error detection and Help facilities.
  • A full issue history for each book is available
  • A full issue history for each member is available
  • A facility exists to correct a field on a text book and to automatically copy that change to every other textbook with the same title and optionally, condition and grade.
  • An optional facility exists for you to hold the contact details of the parents and to send them letters, emails and sms.
  • For those schools that want to hold deposits, there is a deposit management facility, and the letter issued to a pupil/parent indicates the value of the books taken and the deposit held.
  • The value of a book can be held (and updated) at individual book level, and global updates of the book values can be made using the condition of the book.
  • On receiving new stock, you can view all titles, add the number of extra copies received for various titles and update. All of the new copies are then automatically created and the associated barcodes generated in one seamless process.
  • Default values for Initial Cost, Current Value and Replacement Cost can be defined at the system default level. These are automatically loaded into any book where no such value has been entered. A summary of the library book counts and total values is available.
  • Schools can elect to store their own stock numbers on the book records. A book can then be issued or returned by using its accession number or barcode or stock number.
  • Any number of users can be defined as having access to ProText. They each manage their own passwords. The Textbook Librarian can define at user level to which facilities the user has access.
  • A Backorders subsystem manages the situation where there are insufficient books to issue to a grade. When the books on back order are received, the back order records are automatically updated and reports indicate to whom these books must now be issued.
  • The text books can be Disposed and / or deleted individually or via bulk processes. Disposed books cannot be re-issued.
  • Book and Member data can be imported from Excel.
  • Stocktaking is simplified by the use of stock take discrepancy reporting.
  • If power or network failures should affect your data, a process automatically, and within a few minutes, reverts the entire library back to ‘day one’ and then reprocesses every issue and return to restore the data to its correct stable form.
  • A facility exists for the Staff to indicate that a book issued to a pupil has been ‘audited’ (seen) at the end of term 1, 2 3 and 4 without the book having to go through a return and re-issue process. One simply scans the book’s barcode. Statistical reporting on the number of books audited is available.
  • A percentage return (retrieval) report, as required by the Education Department. is available at:
  • Grade Book Title Level
  • Grade Level
  • Individual Learner Level with lost books identified

Start up costs as at January 2021

ProText Software
R 3 500.00
R 3 500.00
9 hours training at your school, spread over 3 visits
R 3 000.00
R 3 000.00
Travel levy for three training sessions at R250 per trip
R 900.00
R 900.00
Loading of Textbooks and Learner data
R 0.00
R 0.00
Barcode scanners (optional)
R 1700.00
R 1700.00

Barcode Stationery Costs:

a) Barcode labels L7159 stationery - 2400 labels in a box
R250.00/box
R250.00/box
b) Optional barcode plastic protectors – 1000 protectors on a roll
R250.00/roll
R250.00/roll

Barcode printing costs

You can elect to print the barcodes yourselves from within ProText, or you can have ProGen print the barcodes prior to the installation.  If you want  ProGen to do the barcode printing there would be an additional cost to cover the cost of the ink and printing time 

Optional barcode printing - per thousand labels printed plus stationery cost (see above)
R150.00 p/1000
R150.00 p/1000

On going costs after 1st Year

ProText Annual Software Runtime licence with a 10% escalation per annum. The runtime licence entitles your school to unlimited hot line support during school hours and all enhancements to the ProText software.

Annual unlimited hot line support and enhancements to the ProText software
R 3 100.00 p/annum
R 3 100.00 p/annum

Time for a decision?

Contact us for a demo.

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