FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Norcross, GA – October 22, 2008

Nakusp Public Library has become the 11th library in British Columbia’s SITKA consortium to go live with Evergreen, the consortial-quality open-source library automation software.

Nakusp Public Library’s migration to Evergreen is one more step in a process that will see up to 17 SITKA libraries running Evergreen by the end of 2008. Two pilot libraries migrated in 2007. Equinox Software Inc., the support and development company for Evergreen, is providing ongoing 24/7 technical support for SITKA’s Evergreen implementations. Visit Nakusp’s new online catalog at http:nakusp.catalogue.bclibraries.ca
“SITKA is another Evergreen success story," said Brad LaJeunesse, Equinox company president. "Small libraries such as Nakusp benefit from the consortial experience that Evergreen is ideally situated to support, with its powerful indexing, transaction, and other core functions, and user-friendly features such as self-placed holds and patron bookbags."
Nakusp British Columbia (population 1,800) is located in the Kootenay region of southeast British Columbia in an area known locally as the “Valley of the Hot Springs.” The Nakusp Public Library is also a founding member of the Kootenay Library Federation, a 19-library organization formed in 2006.
SITKA is following a gradual approach to moving libraries over to Evergreen; libraries opt-in on their own schedule. Many libraries are anticipated to join over the next several years when their existing automation vendor contracts expire. Nakusp Public Library joins Prince Rupert, Fort Nelson, Powell River, Terrace, Whistler, Houston, Pemberton, Burns Lake Public Library, Smithers Public Library, and Midway Public Library on the SITKA Evergreen system. The collective holdings for all 11 libraries are at http://catalogue.bclibrary.ca and a description of SITKA is at http://sitka.bclibraries.ca/ .

About Evergreen

Evergreen is consortial-quality, open-source library system software. Evergreen was initially developed to support Georgia PINES, a resource-sharing consortium with over 270 public libraries. While Evergreen was designed from the ground up to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, its robust, fault-tolerant architecture elegantly scales down to the smallest sites. Evergreen is also adaptive software that due to its service-oriented, standards-compliant design can nimbly evolve to meet changing library needs and user expectations.

From its debut in September 2006, Evergreen has consistently outperformed expectations and resulted in acclaim and praise from users worldwide. Evergreen has received significant attention, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Other Evergreen implementations include Michigan Evergreen, through the Michigan Library Consortium; Evergreen Indiana, from the Indiana Open Source Initiative; and several smaller implementations, such as Kent County Public Library in Maryland, Marshall Public Library in Missouri, and the University of Prince Edward Island. Evergreen projects in the early development stages include Project Conifer (five academic libraries in Canada).

For more information about Evergreen, visit http://evergreen-ils.org

About Equinox Software, Inc.

Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled developers and other professionals who provide comprehensive support for Evergreen, the consortial-quality, open source Integrated Library System (ILS). Equinox develops, supports, trains, migrates, integrates, and consults on Evergreen, and engages with the rapidly expanding Evergreen community. Instead of one-size-fits-all support, Equinox works closely with libraries to ensure Evergreen is implemented in the manner that best fits their individual needs.

In addition to support, custom development and integration services, Equinox offers complete Evergreen hosting packages for libraries wishing to outsource their ILS infrastructure. Equinox also provides consulting services for libraries seeking more insight into the value proposition of open source software.

Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113

For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.

Evergreen is open source software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL. Evergreen and the Evergreen Logo are registered trademarks of the Georgia Public Library Service.

ITALica is currently a pilot project. Our current issue includes content submitted by authors appearing in the September (vol. 27, no. 3) issue of ITAL:

- Mark Cyzyk, "Virtues and Values in Digital Library Architecture"

- Erik Lease Morgan, "MyLibrary: A Digital Library Framework and Toolkit"

- Mireia Ribera Turro, "Are PDF Documents Accessible?"

- James Feher and Tyler Sondag, "Administering an Open-Source Wireless Network"

- Robert N. Bland and Mark A. Stoffan, "Returning Classification to the Catalog"

Several of these authors have already posted to the current ITALica.

LITA members can access the full texts of the above-listed articles online, at the ITAL website (http://www.lita.org/ala/lita/litapublications/ital/italinformation.cfm),
from where you can also then find a link to the ITALica discussion. You can also access ITALica directly (no membership in LITA required) at (http://ital-ica.blogspot.com/).

Libraries can now offer consumers the chance to play some of the best casual and education games during their library visit.

The Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan and the Lee County (Florida) libraries have already installed Exent Technologies’ “Family Play Pack” games service, which requires only a broadband connection. Local users have access to more than 250 safe, family-friendly titles such as Zoo Tycoon, Arthur’s Math Games, Clifford the Big Red Dog: Phonics and Grand Master Chess during regular library hours.

The two libraries have found they are saving money by eliminating the cost of purchasing individual titles. Staff no longer has to check out and retrieve game CDs borrowed from a desk. Exent provides tech support, releasing local IT personnel for more critical responsibilities.

“The Exent Games-on-Demand package has been a wonderful addition to the services we offer our patrons,” Robin Nesbitt, technical services director, Columbus Metropolitan Library, says. “Library patrons ask for more and more every year and budgets are always tight. Exent helps us provide great content while keeping our costs low.”

Every game in the Exent library package is rated E for Everyone by the independent ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) to ensure all content is age-appropriate, non-violent and kid-friendly.

“Libraries are a great location for learning through entertainment. Our Family Play Pack is a cost-effective way for libraries or other public institutions to offer a vast selection of family-friendly games with low cost and overhead,” said Scott McDaniel, CMO, Exent Technologies. “Tiered library pricing plans tied to the number of computers running the service allow small and large libraries alike to participate.”

About Exent Technologies

Exent is a global leader in developing and marketing products and services that enable companies to monetize online video game services. Exent works with broadband service providers, media companies and consumer portals.

Among the companies using Exent's technologies and services include Verizon, Turner Broadcasting, Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.

Library Sales Contact:
Exent Technologies
Dadi Freund
301-652-7351 x5915
dfreund@us.exent.com
or
Media Contacts:
The Bohle Company for Exent Technologies
Derek Asato/Katrina Mossberger
310-785-0515 ext. 201/218
derek@bohle.com / katrina@bohle.com

The eXtensible Catalog (XC) Project is working to design and develop a set of open-source applications that will provide libraries with an alternative way to reveal their collections to library users. XC will provide easy access to all resources (both digital and physical collections) across a variety of databases, metadata schemas and standards, and will enable library content to be revealed through other services that libraries may already be using, such as content management systems and learning management systems. XC will also make library collections more web-accessible by revealing them through web search engines.

Since XC software will be open source, it will be available for download at no cost. Libraries will be able to adopt, customize and extend the software to meet local needs. In addition, a not-for-profit organization will be formed to provide the infrastructure to incorporate community contributions to the code base, encourage collaboration, and provide maintenance and upgrades.

The project is hosted at the University of Rochester and funded through a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholarly Communications Program as well as through significant contributions from and in collaboration with XC partner institutions. The project is in a design and development phase until July 2009, at which point the software will be released under an open-source license.

Steven Dibelius
Deployment Engineer, eXtensible Catalog Project
University of Rochester
stevend@library.rochester.edu