Bilingualism is a gift that lasts a lifetime, and at the German–American School of Portland, a skilled staff of instructors passes that gift along to a new generation. Located in the suburban town of Beaverton, Oregon, the school emphasizes not just linguistic instruction for its students, but also cross–cultural understanding, helping pupils from preschool age to the fifth grade to appreciate their place in the global community. A visit to the school's vast library of German–language books will reveal another powerful tool, an integrated and efficient FileMaker Pro database system.

Customer Benefits

A simplified solution to the library–management problem means real day–to–day benefits at the German–American School of Portland. Assistant Head–of–School Heike Schütz–Malinowski had never used FileMaker Pro before deployment of the system, and is now an eager convert. "You don't need anyone else in the library, we don't need a librarian around to supervise," she enthuses. "Students can find the books they want with just a few clicks!" That's an advantage that means cost savings in personnel and more efficiency for users — who can go right to the books they want without waiting for help.

The system also takes tight control of inventory management — and that's also a key source for savings. "Every book that goes missing costs us money for replacements," Heike continues. "Books in German are expensive, since most of them have to be shipped from overseas — and the FileMaker Pro system helps us keep control of the collection."

You don't need anyone else in the library, we don't need a librarian around to supervise. Students can find the books they want with just a few clicks!

— Heike Schütz–Malinowski, Assistant Head of School, German–American School of Portland

The students also appreciate the fun of choosing their own books. "Even my seven–year–old is excited about checking out her own books," Frank adds. "It's so easy, and it gives them the feeling they can use the machine all by themselves. It's fun — and it encourages them to read more!"

Frank enjoys the system himself — especially given the ease of development made possible by effective tools like the FileMaker Pro Relationship Graph. "It 's an essential part of FileMaker Pro development," he declares. "With multiple tables in one file, the graph is very useful in visualizing how elements are linked."

The system was built with an eye toward the future, with plenty of room for future expansion. Currently, Frank is looking forward to upgrading to FileMaker Pro 8.5 and taking full advantage of the new Web Viewer function by providing direct links to online resources for each book in the library. As the system grows, Frank fully expects to find new and even more efficient ways to bring students and their books together.