7/5/2012
CONTACT:
Nathan Curulla
(888) 900-8944
sales@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions Welcomes Elliott Davis as Development Support Specialist

ByWater Solutions, an open source community supporter and the US’s forefront provider of Koha (www.koha-community.org) support, is excited to welcome Elliott Davis as Development Support Specialist. Elliott will be assisting in the support of the 400 plus libraries being supported by ByWater nationwide, as well as working closely with the Koha community to manage bugs and enhancement requests.

Elliott graduated with his B.S. in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler). While attending UT Tyler, he also worked as a systems analyst at the Robert R. Muntz library. During his time there, he was afforded the opportunity to be involved in a large-scale migration to Koha. During his time at UT Tyler, Elliott contributed several developments to the Koha project. In his spare time, Elliott likes to work on personal developments for Koha and is currently working on a port of Koha to Catalyst, an MVC based framework.

Elliott commented on his recent decision to join the ByWater Solutions team: “After my library partnered with ByWater I realized what a great group of people worked there. Their love of open source software inspired me to develop for Koha as a hobby. Now I get the opportunity to continue working on Koha and help other libraries develop Koha to fit their needs.”

Brendan Gallagher, CEO of ByWater Solutions stated: “Elliott caught our attention because of his contributions to Koha. We’re excited to have him as a new member of our team and can’t wait to see what improvements he can help develop for our partners.”

About ByWater Solutions:

ByWater Solutions is a full service, high quality support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their ILS than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in first rate Koha implementation and support with library systems of all sizes. Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions to support Koha not only lowers the cost of implementing and maintaining an ILS, but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit: http://bywatersolutions.com/

Dallas, TX — Amigos Library Services is pleased to welcome the following staff of the St. Louis-based Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC) to Amigos. MLNC staff members officially became members of Amigos’ staff July 1, 2012, when that organization’s operations were formally merged into Amigos. They will work from Amigos’ St. Louis office.

Tracy Rochow Byerly now serves as Amigos’ Chief Communications and Membership Development Officer. She had been MLNC’s Executive Director since December 2003. Her many notable accomplishments at MLNC included designing and initiating the MLNC Speakers Series, revising the organization’s bylaws, and overseeing the implementation of a customer relationship management system to improve the organization’s efficiency and service to members. Tracy had been with MLNC since 1995, previously serving as User Services Manager. Prior to then she held both technical and public service positions within the St. Louis County Library. She has a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelor of Science degree from Fontbonne University, St. Louis. She currently serves as a Member-at-Large on the board of the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies.

Keith Gaertner now serves as Budget and Finance Analyst for Amigos. He had been with MLNC for over 25 years, with responsibility for accounting, personnel services, and the MLNC computer network. He began his MLNC career in 1984 as a part-time accountant and became full-time business manager in 1987. In 2008 he was promoted to Associate Director, Business Services. Keith implemented several systems that have streamlined processes and increased organizational efficiency, including a remote deposit capture system, a customer relationship management system, and Citrix server for remote access to the network. Keith has a Master of Arts degree in information technology management from Webster University, St. Louis, a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and two Chancellor’s certificates in data processing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Linda Elkow now serves Amigos as Integration Assistant. She held a variety of positions at MLNC since 1984, most recently as Member Services Assistant. Her primary focus included support for members who participated in MLNC’s electronic resource programs and workshops, and assistance in MLNC’s active association management program. Linda was previously the director of the Maplewood, MO, Public Library. She holds a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Lars Hagelin now serves as a Continuing Education Librarian on an on-call basis for Amigos. He was MLNC’s Communications/Events Specialist since 2010. In this role he managed the MLNC website and Facebook page, facilitated workshop arrangements, and edited the monthly newsletter. Lars previously worked as Special Projects Librarian at Mid-Continent Public Library, Kansas City, MO, and Client Registration Website Developer for iPlanIt Meetings, Longmont, CO, an event management company.

Beth Willis now serves as a Continuing Education Librarian on an on-call basis for Amigos. She joined MLNC in 2011 as Member Services Consultant for library services and group purchases. Earlier professional roles included Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator for the Kansas City Metropolitan Library, Information Network and Interlibrary Loan Department Head at Mid-Continent Public Library, Kansas City, MO, and technology assessment, planning, and management consultant to the South Texas Library System, Corpus Christi, TX. Beth has a Master of Library Science degree from the State University of New York at Albany.

About Amigos Library Services
For more than 35 years, Amigos members have collaborated to obtain affordable services and shared library resources and knowledge. Through membership in Amigos, we collectively gain access to the latest innovations and services in the library community; pursue opportunities for continuing professional education; leverage our buying power; and preserve our rich cultural heritage. This collaboration strengthens each member’s ability to serve and lead its community in the creative and effective use of information resources.

Media Contact:
Terri Maguire Mertz
Amigos Library Services
972-340-2855
mertz@amigos.org
www.amigos.org