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    June 29th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    COLUMBUS, OH --June 29, 2009-- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries announced today that the Charles and JoAnne Lester Library in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, has selected a Koha ZOOM hosted solution for their next integrated library system.

    The Koha installation will be hosted off site at one of LibLime's secure data centers. The Library has also contracted with LibLime for support, training, and migration of their bibliographic records, patron records and items.

    "We decided to go with Koha based on excellent peer recommendations," says Director Darla Allen.

    "As a small library with limited staff, Koha appealed to us for a number of reasons. First of all, we had the option to have the site hosted and therefore avoid many of the headaches associated with troubleshooting and maintaining our own computer. Secondly, Koha enables our patrons to go online and check our holdings, manage their account and see what's new. Our current service does not have that capability," Darla explains.

    "We are a small library in a community that has been hit hard by recent economic woes.
    For a very reasonable cost, Koha will enable our library to serve our patrons in the same way that many larger and more prosperous libraries are able to do," says Darla. "I have always believed that it didn't matter if you came from a small town or a big city, the library offers access for all. Each person who walks through the library doors has the same opportunities as any other library user in the United States."

    She adds: "Koha makes this a reality for so many of our rural patrons. They will be able to use the library more effectively and get real value out of our services."

    "The Charles and JoAnne Lester Library has always played a significant role in its community," says Susan Buchanan, VP Library Partners at LibLime. "LibLime is pleased to be able to provide the support and services to enable the Library to continue to be an integral part of the growth of the community. Implementing Koha will provide library patrons with enhanced access to, and use of, the library collection and facilities."

    About The Charles and JoAnn Lester Library

    The Charles and JoAnn Lester Library serves a population of about 4,500 people in the
    South Wood County Area. The present building was paid for through community fundraising and a very generous donation from Charles and JoAnn Lester. The Library has an up-to-date collection of over 28,000 unique titles and an extensive local history collection. The Library offers wi-fi, 8 public use computers and two meeting rooms for public use.

    About Koha ZOOM

    Koha ZOOM is the next-generation release of the award-winning Koha open-source integrated library system. Notably, it includes a powerful search engine based on Zebra, a high-performance indexing and retrieval engine. Koha ZOOM's search engine can read structured records in practically any input format (e.g., email, XML, MARC) and allows access to them through exact boolean search expressions and relevance-ranked free-text queries. It supports large databases (more than ten gigabytes of data, tens of millions of records) as well as incremental, safe database updates on live systems.

    To try out Koha ZOOM for yourself, visit LibLime's demos:

    http://liblime.com/demos

    About LibLime

    LibLime is the global leader in open-source solutions for libraries, with a mission to make open source accessible to 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 Contact:

    Tina Burger
    Vice President Marketing, LibLime
    (888) Koha ILS (564-2457) ext. 705

    tnb@liblime.com

    LibLime and the LibLime logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of LibLime. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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    June 29th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Editorial Introduction - Code4Lib: Long May You Run by Tom Keays
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1695

    The Code4Lib Journal mirrors the diversity and depth of interests and expertise of its readership. Our successes, indeed, are yours.

    How Hard Can it Be? : Developing in Open Source by Joann Ransom with Chris Cormack and Rosalie Blake
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1638

    In 2000 a small public library system in New Zealand developed and released Koha, the world's first open source library management system. This is the story of how that came to pass and why, and of the lessons learnt in their first foray into developing in open source.

    Extracting User Interaction Information from the Transaction Logs of a Faceted Navigation OPAC by Cory Lown and Brad Hemminger
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1633

    This paper discusses the analysis of Apache web server logs from a faceted catalog interface (OPAC) at North Carolina State University. By grouping individual HTTP requests into user sessions and analyzing in that context, requests can be understood as particular user actions, with more specificity as to purpose and effect of an action. Client IP address and time are used as a sufficient proxy for determining user sessions from logs. Some initial exploratory findings of user behavior in the NCSU OPAC are provided, including that users make use of facets less than of text searching, and that some facet groups are used significantly more than others. Links are provided to the scripts used to make this session-based analysis, which could be modified for use with other facetted OPACs which use an Apache front-end.

    Using a Web Services Architecture with Me, Myself and I by Stephen Meyer
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1771

    The UW-Madison Libraries Library Course Page system is used to deliver electronic reserves materials and course-focused library instruction webpages to students. As part of a rewrite of our system we broke the application into three component pieces: a file repository, a course timetable data service, and an interface application for building and viewing individual course pages. The new three-piece system was written with an inward facing service-oriented architecture that allowed us to choose the best technologies to solve each of the tasks the entire system needs to accomplish.

    Deciphering Journal Abbreviations with JAbbr By Keith Jenkins
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1758

    JAbbr is an online tool developed at Cornell University to help users decipher journal title abbreviations. This article discusses why these abbreviations are so problematic, and how traditional tools are often insufficient, and then describes the novel approach used by JAbbr. Given an abbreviation, JAbbr creates a regular expression for fuzzy matching, tests it against a list of serial titles extracted from the library catalog, and returns a list of possible matches to the user. JAbbr is available as a web site and as a web service.

    Repurposing ProQuest Metadata for Batch Ingesting ETDs into an Institutional Repository by Shawn Averkamp and Joanna Lee
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1647

    This article describes the workflow used by the University of Iowa Libraries to populate their institutional repository and their catalog with the data collected by ProQuest UMI Dissertation Publishing during the submission of students' theses and dissertations. Re-purposing the metadata from ProQuest allowed the University of Iowa Libraries to streamline the process for ingesting theses and dissertations into their institutional repository. The article includes a discussion of the benefits and limitations of the workflow described.

    Bibliographic Metadata Extraction from Theses By Götz Hatop
    http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/1686

    This article presents the application of part-of-speech (POS) based statistical text analysis to the task of bibliographic metadata extraction from electronic dissertations. By using the approach described here it is possible to detect the title of a Ph.D. paper with an accuracy of about 80%. The accuracy measurements are done using a conceptually simple approach and implementation.

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    June 23rd, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Columbia Bible College (British Columbia) Goes Live With Evergreen
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Norcross, GA — June 23, 2009

    Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, British Columbia has gone live with Evergreen, the highly scalable, open-source library automation software. Equinox Software Inc., “The Evergreen Experts,” oversaw data migration and software configuration, and will provide round-the-clock ongoing technical support.
    “We are excited to be the first known academic library in British Columbia to adopt Evergreen, the leading open source library automation program,” said Anne Andres, Associate Librarian. “Our staff is pleased with the significant enhancements, features and functionality which streamline their operations. Patrons will be pleased with improved services such as email notification, holds, and enhanced search capabilities.”

    “The ability of Evergreen to support libraries of all sizes and types is part of its overwhelming success,” said Brad LaJeunesse, Equinox company president. “Evergreen’s scalability and excellent feature set make it increasingly popular with academic libraries worldwide.”

    The Columbia Bible College Library primarily serves its academic community, but is also open to the public. Its collection is focused on theological and biblical studies. Their new catalog can be viewed at http://columbiabc.evergreencatalog.com.

    About Evergreen
    Evergreen is powerful, highly scalable open-source library software. While Evergreen is best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, Evergreen also elegantly scales down to the smallest library sites.
    Since its debut in September 2006 as the software powering the 270-plus libraries of the Georgia PINES consortium, Evergreen has earned acclaim and praise from users worldwide, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Evergreen now supports hundreds of libraries of every type—public, academic, special, and school media—in 12 states and 2 countries.
    For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

    About Equinox Software, Inc.

    Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled 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. Equinox also offers hosting packages for libraries that prefer not to maintain local servers.
    For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.
    Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113
    Evergreen is open source software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL. Evergreen and the Evergreen logo are trademarks of the Georgia Public Library Service.

  • scissors
    June 23rd, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    COLUMBUS, OH --June 23, 2009-- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries announced today that Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has selected a Koha ZOOM hosted solution for their next integrated library system.

    The Koha installation will be hosted off site at one of LibLime's secure data centers. The Library has also contracted with LibLime for data migration of their 185,000 bibliographic records, support and training services.

    Walden University is an online institution with a virtual library. Until now, Walden's virtual/online Library had databases but not a catalog. "Having a catalog will allow us to make individual journal and ebook purchases and in turn make those accessible to our students," says Sue Davidsen, Director of Library Services.

    The Library chose LibLime's Koha solution because it is affordable and flexible.

    "The Walden Library has a very unique need. We are completely online, so there are a number of features in an ILS that we just didn't need, for example, circulation or patron records. Open Source offered us the opportunity to customize our installation at a price we could afford," Sue explains.

    "I think students will appreciate the ability to simplify their searching," Sue adds. "The refine-your-search feature is something that should prove to be very popular. Our staff is excited about being able to integrate the catalog with our social networking tools like chat and the library's news blog."

    About Walden University

    Since 1970, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 33,000 students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of 42 online and campus-based universities in 20 countries.

    About Koha ZOOM

    Koha ZOOM is the next-generation release of the award-winning Koha open-source integrated library system. Notably, it includes a powerful search engine based on Zebra, a high-performance indexing and retrieval engine. Koha ZOOM's search engine can read structured records in practically any input format (e.g., email, XML, MARC) and allows access to them through exact boolean search expressions and relevance-ranked free-text queries. It supports large databases (more than ten gigabytes of data, tens of millions of records) as well as incremental, safe database updates on live systems.

    To try out Koha ZOOM for yourself, visit LibLime's demos:

    http://liblime.com/demos

    About LibLime

    LibLime is the global leader in open-source solutions for libraries, with a mission to make open source accessible to 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 Contact:

    Tina Burger
    Vice President, Marketing LibLime
    (888)Koha ILS (564-2457) ext. 705

    tnb@liblime.com

    LibLime and the LibLime logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of LibLime. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

  • scissors
    June 22nd, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Huntingburg (Ind.) Public Library Becomes 28th Evergreen Indiana Library
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Norcross, GA — June 22, 2009

    Huntingburg Public Library has gone live with Evergreen, the consortial-quality open-source library automation software. 28 libraries are now live on Evergreen Indiana, a shared-catalog project of the Indiana State Library. Equinox Software, Inc., the support and development company established by the original Evergreen developers, provided bumper-to-bumper support for the migrations and is now providing round-the-clock ongoing technical support. Alpha-G Consulting also provided support for the migration.
    “Evergreen Indiana’s swift but controlled growth demonstrates Evergreen’s powerful scalability,” said Brad LaJeunesse, Equinox company president. “Indiana is already enjoying the benefits of massive-scale resource sharing.”
    Huntingburg is located near the southwest corner of Indiana and is known for its beautiful downtown area and antique shops. It has been nicknamed the “Hollywood of the Midwest” because of several notable movies filmed there, including “A League of Their Own.”
    The shared catalog for Evergreen Indiana is http://evergreen.lib.in.us.

    About Evergreen
    Evergreen is powerful, highly scalable open-source library software. While Evergreen is best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, Evergreen also elegantly scales down to the smallest library sites.
    Since its debut in September 2006 as the software powering the 270-plus libraries of the Georgia PINES consortium, Evergreen has earned acclaim and praise from users worldwide, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Evergreen now supports hundreds of libraries of every type—public, academic, special, and school media—in 12 states and 2 countries.
    For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

    About Equinox Software, Inc.

    Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled 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. Equinox also offers hosting packages for libraries that prefer not to maintain local servers.
    For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.
    Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113
    Evergreen is open source software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL. Evergreen and the Evergreen logo are trademarks of the Georgia Public Library Service.

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