160 likes | 173 Views
OPEN SOURCE ILS STORY: high t ech solutions on a limited budget.
E N D
OPEN SOURCE ILS STORY: high tech solutions on a limited budget In 2009 five small libraries collaborated on an innovative ILS solution using KOHA Open source software. Five years later consortium members discuss the opportunities, challenges and solutions. A good news story that you can have all the benefits of a high-tech ILS system like integration of Overdrive Collections, mobile-friendly OPAC, automatic pre-due emails/texts, news on screen and checkout slips, database querying report builder, and professional support at an affordable price.
Saugeen Consortium background • Formed in 2008 • 6 libraries at the start - shopping for ILS • Consortium set up with assistance from SOLS • Intent to leverage grant funds and benefit from shared expertise and better buying power
ILS selection & open source • Criteria – affordability and functionality • Preferred product was Koha • Fear of the unknown going to open source was overcome by confidence in the group • Concerns about hosting in USA led to selecting a local vendor and hosting in house
Skip forward to 2014 • Times and options for hosting and support changed • Other support vendors offer Canadian hosting • The consortium libraries chose Equinox • Now our ILSs are hosted in Toronto • Still happy with Koha, and have excellent support
A word about Open Source • Examples – Firefox, Android, Linux, Open Office, Wordpress, MySQL, VLC Media Player • Advantages – • No cost to use the software • Anyone can modify and develop it • Flexibility in support and hosting options • Freedom to change vendors • Worldwide community support • Not tied to financial stability of one company
Perceived disadvantages • Not a pre packaged turnkey all in one solution • Still unfamiliar in library circles • Lack of confidence in distributed development • Nobody to blame if you don’t like it