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LISWire: Koha is Open-Source ILS of Choice, A New Study Finds
0March 26th, 2009LISWireColumbus, OH--LibLime, the leader in open solutions for libraries,
announced today the results of a study conducted in 2008, that finds
Koha to be the open-source ILS of choice for respondents--across every
library type. LibLime is the foremost provider of Koha automation
solutions worldwide.The study--conducted by Outsell, Inc--surveyed hundreds of library
decision-makers across the US and Europe. When current and potential
users of open source were asked which ILS package they preferred,
respondents selected Koha as their first choice across all segments by
a hefty margin. Library segments included corporate, government,
academic, K-12, public and nonprofit libraries.Outsell’s study also found that over half of the nearly 300
respondents surveyed had either implemented an open source ILS or
would consider a move to an open-source ILS. Interest was highest
among public and academic libraries. Flexibility and adaptability of
open source was the highest-rated reason for the implementation or
considered implementation of an open-source ILS."The preference for Koha is not at all surprising," says Joshua
Ferraro, CEO of LibLime. Ferraro has been an active member of the Koha
project since 2001 when he oversaw implementation of Koha at the first
library in the US to select an open-source ILS, the Athens County
Library System in Ohio."One of the strenghts of the open-source development model is that
libraries have direct access to development resources thorugh a
process called Sponsored Development", Ferraro explains. "As a result,
Koha's community, codebase and feature-set continue to evolve at an
amazing pace."As part of its support environment, LibLime maintains the LibLime
Development Exchange, a database of features being sponsored by
customers. This facilitates co-sponsorship and further collaboration
between customers. There are currently over 200 active development
projects, many of which are in the process of being completed and will
be in the 3.2 Version of Koha, set for release later this year.For more information or to purchase Outsell's report, visit:
http://www.outsellinc.com/store/products/793About LibLime
LibLime is the global leader in open solutions for libraries. Rather
than sell software licenses for static, hard-to-customize software
products, LibLime educates libraries about the benefits of open
source, enabling them to make choices about how best to provide their
communities and staff with better technology services. LibLime then
facilitates implementation of open-source in libraries by providing
outstanding development, customization, support and training
solutions--solutions tailored to each library's needs. For more
information, see http://liblime.com.Press Contacts
Tina Burger
Vice President, Marketing LibLime
(888)Koha ILS (564-2457)
tnb@liblime.comLibLime, ‡biblios and ‡biblios.net are either registered trademarks or
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