ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that the Pennsylvania Koha Consortium is now live on Koha! Nine Libraries throughout the state of Pennsylvania form the PKC Group! The member libraries were formerly known as Pennsylvania Millennium Users Group (PAMUG).

ByWater completed the transition of the libraries' 287,000 plus holdings from Millennium ILS and is providing ongoing support services to the library. The member libraries' and their customized Koha OPAC can be viewed below.

Butler County Community College
OPAC: bc3library-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
Upper Chichester Library
OPAC: UpperChiL-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
OPAC: library.pcad.edu/
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
OPAC: stevensonpa-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
Central Penn College
OPAC: librarycatalog.centralpenn.edu
Waynesburg University
OPAC: waynesburg-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
Pittsburgh Technical College
OPAC: ptcollege-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
OPAC: pafa-pkc.bywatersolutions.com
John Thompson, Systems Librarian at the Eberly Library, Waynesburg University, recently commented on the migration and training.

Kelly did a really thorough job for us. We have nothing but praise for her. We are so much happier with Koha and with the support of ByWater. We are leagues ahead of where we were.

About ByWater Solutions
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high-quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in the first-rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit https://bywatersolutions.com.

About Koha
Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha’s impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Koha’s OPAC, circulation, management, and self-checkout interfaces are all based on standards-compliant World Wide Web technologies, HTML5, CSS, and Javascript, making Koha a truly platform-independent solution. Koha is distributed under the open-source General Public License (GPL). For more information about Koha, please visit http://koha-community.org.

For More Information
Jessica Zairo
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944

EBSCO Information Services Announces 2020 EBSCO Solar Grant Winners
~ $300,000 in Grants Provided to Five Libraries Looking to Install Solar Arrays ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — July 20, 2020 — EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) has announced its five 2020 EBSCO Solar Grant Winners. Independence Public Library in Independence, Belize; Peterborough Town Library in Peterborough, New Hampshire; The Valley Library at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon; H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Learning Resource Centre, in Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Pacific Theological College, in Suva, Fiji Islands, will each receive an EBSCO Solar Grant to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grants offset the cost of installing solar panels and allow the libraries to reduce their electricity expenditures.

Independence Public Library (IPL) in Independence, Stann Creek District, Belize, is part of the Belize National Library Service and is looking to create a green librarianship concept, which will promote social engagement, information skills and sustainable development in the community. Belize National Library Service and Information System Chief Librarian Lusiola Castillo says adding solar power will improve the library’s physical infrastructure. “The EBSCO Solar Grant will enhance our library’s physical space by decreasing electricity consumption, helping to facilitate the use of technology for patrons, offering open and easy access to reliable and updated environmental information, and promoting sustainability in the community.”

Peterborough Town Library in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is the oldest tax-supported free public library in the country, founded in 1833. The Peterborough Town Library plans to be almost completely energy efficient by relying upon solar panels for electricity, biomass for heating, and an innovative “green” adsorption system for cooling. Library Director Corinne Chronopoulos says sustainability is a vital concern in this rural community. “In preparing for our new library construction, the community expressed a strong desire for the library to be a leader in sustainability and provide an educational opportunity for community members. With this grant, we will enable eager residents to explore the impact of sustainable energy.”

The Valley Library at Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon, is the main branch location of the OSU Libraries. This installation of solar will help the library meet its long-term goal of striving for carbon neutrality and serve as an example to the institution and surrounding communities. OSU’s Library Spaces Manager Rachel Burgess says the EBSCO Solar Grant will expand existing plans. “This grant will allow us to partner with other units on campus to adopt and implement additional objectives to reduce Oregon State University’s carbon footprint and go beyond our current sustainability practices.” The library recently received a Gold Level designation from the OSU’s Green Office Certification program (the highest score yet at OSU), and they expect the solar array to move them toward the Certification’s Platinum Level.

H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Learning Resource Centre (LRC) in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, is cognizant of its responsibility to protecting and nurturing the natural environment by managing its operations in ways that are environmentally sustainable, economically feasible and socially responsible. Director of the LRC, Kenyatha Augustine, says the grant will reduce the library’s dependency on the local powerplant and serve as a resource for the island. “In addition to decreasing the library’s environmental footprint, we will also launch a Solar Technician Training Program through our Workforce Training Division. We will use the solar array at the LRC as a field lab for training purposes.”

The George Knight Library at The Pacific Theological College is situated in Suva, Fiji Islands. The Library supports the Pacific Theological College in providing and managing information resources to support the Pacific Theological College in its work of theological education, professional ministry training, and public theological discourse. Librarian Nalini Premadish says the college’s strategic plan encourages the use of modern solar energy production. “The array will make the library energy self-sufficient and replace the use of fossil fuels on campus and contribute to the country-wide reduction in diesel fuel.”

For more information on EBSCO Solar, visit www.ebsco.com/solar.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 11,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals and books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 1,000,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family-owned company since 1944.

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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com

Facet Publishing announces the publication of Mapping Information Landscapes: New Methods for Exploring the Development and Teaching of Information Literacy by Andrew Whitworth.

Written by a leading researcher in the field, this book investigates how teachers and learners can use mapping in developing their ability to make informed judgements about information, in specific places and times. In Mapping Information Landscapes, Andrew Whitworth argues that the geographical and information landscapes are indivisible, and the techniques we use to navigate each are essentially the same.

The book presents a history of mapping as a means of representing the world, ranging from the work of medieval mapmakers to the 21st century. Concept and mind mapping are explored, as well as the notion of discursive mapping: the dialogic process, regardless of whether a graphical map is an outcome.

The framework of the book weaves together the work of authors including Annemaree Lloyd, Christine Bruce, practice theorists such as Theodore Schatzki and the critical geography of David Harvey, an author whose work has not previously been applied to the study of information literacy.

Andrew Whitworth said of the text: 'The idea of using mapping as a way of developing information literacy, whether inside or outside the university, has been hinted at by notable names in the field, such as Annemaree Lloyd or Geoff Walton. The aim of the book is to root these propositions in the long history of mapping and highlight why it is that mapping can help groups and teams develop new perspectives on information.’

- End

Press and review copies contact:
Sinéad Murphy, Marketing & Sales Manager, Facet Publishing
Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0594
Email: sinead.murphy@facetpublishing.co.uk

Notes:

Mapping Information Landscapes: New Methods for Exploring the Development and Teaching of Information Literacy | http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=304172 | June 2020 | 224pp | Hardback: 9781783304172 | £65

Andrew Whitworth is a Reader at the Manchester Institute of Education. He was previously a senior lecturer and Programme Director (and initiator) of the MA: Digital Technologies, Communication and Education at the University of Manchester. He was a keynote speaker at the 2017 European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL2017) and is the author of Information Obesity (Chandos, 2009) and Radical Information Literacy (Chandos, 2014).

The book is published by Facet Publishing and is available to order from Bookpoint Ltd | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. | Mailing Address: Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD. It will be available in North America from the American Library Association: https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/mapping-information-landscapes-new-...

FOLIO Libraries Announcing Implementations and Timelines as the Open Source Library Platform Nears Significant Milestone
~ Libraries Choosing Plans to Implement the FOLIO Library Services Platform as Goldenrod Release Nears ~
July 13, 2020

PHILADELPHIA — July 13, 2020 — Libraries around the world are beginning to implement FOLIO, the open source Library Services Platform (LSP), as it approaches a named release that signals a significant achievement in the development of initial apps, features and functionality.

The open source project, which leverages expertise from libraries, developers and service providers, is building a fully functional open source LSP that is being implemented around the world. The Goldenrod Release, coming in mid-July, includes additional functionality that will allow more libraries to move to FOLIO from their current, traditional Integrated Library System (ILS) or LSPs.

Institutions of all sizes have been implementing FOLIO since last year. These libraries represent a wide range of collection sizes and students, faculty and researchers and demonstrate that FOLIO makes open source a viable alternative for institutions of all sizes. Sites live or going live have collections that range between 61,000 to 5.5 million bibliographic records and serve between 2,300 and nearly 50,000 users.

Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden went live in 2019 as the first library using FOLIO. Missouri State University was the first academic institution in the United States to go live with FOLIO and Simmons University, Warner University, St. Thomas University and Washington & Jefferson College have now fully implemented FOLIO.

The University of Alabama is planning its implementation by the end of 2020. University of Alabama Dean of Libraries Don Gilstrap says, as an original EBSCO beta development partner, the University of Alabama has played a leading role in design and testing at the scale required to develop the features and functionalities for large, working research libraries. “Being able to test FOLIO extensively in a real-world environment has helped direct development and demonstrates the viability of this innovation-driven open source library services platform. As the University of Alabama development team prepares to implement FOLIO, it is gratifying to know that we do it as an institution that has provided actionable information to both EBSCO and to the FOLIO Community, as well to the open source community at large.”

Several libraries have also chosen to implement the Electronic Resource Management (ERM) apps in FOLIO. GBV network library ZBW Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Kiel/Hamburg has been live with FOLIO ERM since May 2020. Leipzig University Library is also currently live with ERM. Leipzig University Library Deputy Head of IT Bjӧrn Muschall says the university’s staged implementation approach aligns with its mission and focus. “By focusing on the portion of the system that is live, we are able to see the benefits of implementing a system that prizes open source technology and features and functionality designed to grow with our institution.” Muschall says Leipzig University Library contributed its own developer resources to the FOLIO project and contributed to the overall functionality. “By creating an app and developing for FOLIO, we increased the sustainability of our own investments.”

Lehigh University is preparing for a full FOLIO implementation in August 2020. Lehigh’s University Librarian Boaz Nadav-Manes says Lehigh’s move to FOLIO represents the next step in its deep commitment to open source and community-driven solutions. “As long-term members of the FOLIO and OLE Communities, we are very excited to be one of the first libraries to fully implement FOLIO and to work with others to enable and lead additional innovation as FOLIO continues its natural development process.” Lehigh is currently loading records directly into a single tenant environment in preparation for its implementation date.

Additional sites will be moving to FOLIO in stages. The Five Colleges: Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and The University of Massachusetts/Amherst are also EBSCO beta partners and will be implementing ERM this summer. Duke University will be implementing FOLIO ERM this summer and Cornell University, which is currently leveraging the FOLIO ERM, plans to move to the FOLIO LSP in 2021. Texas A&M University will implement FOLIO based on features expected by mid-2021.

Libraries are also choosing how to implement and host FOLIO. Chalmers, Missouri State University, Cornell and University of Alabama are using EBSCO FOLIO Services for implementation, hosting and services. ZBW Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Kiel/Hamburg is being hosted by its library network headquarter VZG|GBV. Simmons University, Duke University and Lehigh University are among the libraries using hosting and services from Index Data. Warner University, St. Thomas University and Washington & Jefferson College are using services from ByWater Solutions. Leipzig University and Texas A&M University are self-hosting.

FOLIO is an open community and details about the releases and future plans can be found at https://wiki.folio.org

About FOLIO
FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information go to www.folio.org.

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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Media Relations, FOLIO
978-223-0438
kathleen@folio.org

ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that the Carl S. Swisher Library, Jacksonville University is now live on Koha!

ByWater completed the transition of the library's 512,000 plus holdings from OCLC and is providing ongoing support services to the library. The library's customized Koha OPAC can be viewed at https://jacksonvilleu.bywatersolutions.com/.

Olivia Hattan-Edwards, Systems Librarian and Assistant Professor at Carl S. Swisher Library, Jacksonville University recently commented on the migration.

The transition from our previous ILS to Koha supported by Bywater Solutions went smoother than expected. The training we participated in was thorough and easy to digest. The data extraction process was simple. Every question we had was answered quickly. We anticipated bumps in the road, and when we hit those bumps, Bywater was there to guide us over them. No librarian or library staff member had experience in migrating to a new ILS, and Bywater’s team made the entire experience a pleasant one.

About Carl S. Swisher Library
The Mission of the Library is to provide quality information resources and services that support academic programs and to work with the university community in teaching them to use resources and services effectively.

Read more at https://library.ju.edu/.

About ByWater Solutions
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high-quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in the first-rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit https://bywatersolutions.com.

About Koha
Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha’s impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Koha’s OPAC, circulation, management, and self-checkout interfaces are all based on standards-compliant World Wide Web technologies, HTML5, CSS, and Javascript, making Koha a truly platform-independent solution. Koha is distributed under the open-source General Public License (GPL). For more information about Koha, please visit http://koha-community.org.

For More Information
Jessica Zairo
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944