Freedom251 › Library Automation
Oliver
What Oliver is
Oliver is a library management solution for schools and education departments, including primary and secondary schools. It supports cataloguing, circulation, acquisitions, borrower access, and personalised recommendations to help students discover library resources. Users can create pre-built or customised reports on usage, borrowing, overdue items, and digital resource engagement, and schedule them to run automatically. A booking system can manage loans of music and equipment. Oliver connects with school management systems, learning platforms, content providers, and authentication tools through APIs, library protocols, and single sign-on. Softlink offers hosted and on-premises deployment; it says Oliver can be accessed with an internet connection without workstation installation. Hosted service includes daily backups, managed updates and patching, and dedicated technical support with service-level agreements. Softlink lists ISO 27001 and ISO 27018 standards, GDPR compliance, IRAP-compliant data centres, and monitored endpoint protection, firewalls, and vulnerability scanning. Pricing is by quote.
Who it suits
Oliver is aimed at primary and secondary schools and education departments managing library resources and student access. It may suit organisations seeking school-system integrations, automated reports, and hosted or on-premises deployment.
What it does well
- Supports cataloguing, circulation, acquisitions, and borrower access.
- Offers personalised recommendations for student discovery.
- Reports can be customised and scheduled automatically.
- Hosted service includes daily backups and managed updates.
What to know first
- Pricing is available by quote.
- Hosted or on-premises deployment is offered, not specified as other options.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver library software | Pricing by quote | On request |
As softlinkint.com lists them, read 30 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Oliver education website.
- Contact Softlink to request pricing.
- Choose hosted or on-premises deployment.
- Set up access through the web or API.
- Connect relevant school systems, learning platforms, content providers or authentication tools.
Verdict
Oliver combines school library workflows, student discovery, reporting, and integrations in a solution offered for hosted or on-premises deployment. Prospective buyers need to request pricing and assess its listed security and hosting provisions against their requirements.
Questions
How much does Oliver cost?
Pricing is by quote. Softlink lists the Oliver library software plan with pricing by quote.
Which platforms does Oliver support?
Oliver is listed for web and API access.
Can a school host Oliver itself?
Softlink offers hosted and on-premises installation.
What library tasks does Oliver support?
It includes cataloguing, circulation, acquisitions, borrower access, custom reporting and MARC records.
Can Oliver connect to school systems?
It integrates with school management systems, learning platforms, content providers and authentication tools using APIs, library protocols and single sign-on.
What support is available?
Softlink describes local support, online learning resources, a 24/7 community portal, webinars and online user groups. The hosted service includes dedicated technical support with service-level agreements.
Facts from Oliver's own pages
- Audience
- Softlink describes Oliver as suitable for primary and secondary schools and education departments. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Cataloguing and workflows
- Oliver includes smart cataloguing, automated reporting and streamlined workflows. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- Softlink offers hosted and on-premises installation, and says Oliver can be accessed with an internet connection without workstation installation. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Discovery and reading
- Oliver offers personalised recommendations and an interface for students to discover and access library resources. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Founded
- 1983 · softlinkint.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Brisbane, Australia · softlinkint.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Hosted service
- The Oliver hosting service includes daily backups, managed updates and patching, and dedicated technical support with service-level agreements. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- Oliver integrates with school management systems, learning platforms, content providers and authentication tools; Softlink says it uses APIs, library protocols and single sign-on. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- Oliver is a library management solution designed for schools and their communities. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Reporting
- Users can create pre-built or customised reports about usage, borrowing, overdue items and digital resource engagement, and schedule reports to run automatically. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Resource booking
- Oliver’s booking system can manage loans of music and equipment. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- School safety assessment
- Softlink says Oliver v5 has been assessed through ST4S and meets the required standards to participate in its Product Badge Program. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Security
- Softlink lists ISO 27001 and ISO 27018 standards, GDPR compliance, IRAP-compliant data centres and monitored endpoint protection, firewalls and vulnerability scanning. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Support
- Softlink describes local support, online learning resources, a 24/7 community portal, webinars and online user groups. · softlinkint.com, 30 Sept 2026
Where Oliver stands on Freedom251
- Library Automation#11 of 21
- Library Management#10 of 17
- School Library Management Software#21 of 22