The UKCS has been developed to reduce the effort involved in specifying standard functionality which is available on all library management systems (LMSs).
CILIP supported the development of the specification and is promoting its adoption.
It was compiled by Juliet Leeves, a freelance library systems consultant, in consultation with a number of LMS suppliers who agreed a core set of requirements, together with a variant set to meet the needs of differing market sectors. The model agreed with suppliers for the UKCS was a checklist of basic functions which could be expected on any LMS. The checklist is intended to form one part of an Operational Requirement (OR), which is normally included in an Invitation To Tender (ITT) in formal procurement procedures. However, it can also be used in less formal procedures as a simple checklist of features.
Updated: 12 February 2008