Equinox Open Library Initiative Presents “Developing Open Source Tools To Support Libraries During COVID-19” at the 2021 ALA Annual Conference

Duluth, Ga., June 23, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to present the poster “Developing Open Source Tools To Support Libraries During COVID-19” at the 2021 American Library Association Annual Conference, June 23-29, 2021. The poster describes the programs, workflows, and software that Equinox designed to provide support to libraries and library staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equinox team members Lisa Carlucci, Galen Charlton, Sally Fortin, Angela Kilsdonk, Andrea Buntz Neiman, and Mike Rylander contributed to the poster, with audio description by Sally Fortin. The digital poster presentation can be viewed on the ALA Annual Conference platform here: https://bit.ly/EquinoxALAAC21 

“Equinox’s poster tells the story of an extraordinary moment in time. As libraries faced the unknowns of providing library services during the pandemic, we asked, ‘How can Equinox help?’” said Lisa Carlucci, Executive Director. “We reached out to our professional communities and partners to identify specific initiatives and to develop new ways to strengthen and expand our services. We shifted educational resources to remote platforms, created new professional development opportunities, and developed new workflows and tools for Evergreen and Koha.”

Equinox created the SubjectsPlus guide, “Developing Open Source Tools To Support Libraries During COVID-19,” to accompany the ALA Annual Conference poster presentation. Resources in the guide cover Koha ILS and Evergreen ILS topics including going fine free, handling unplanned closures, managing items in quarantine, and configuring and using the Evergreen ILS curbside pickup module. View the poster and enhanced collection of resources at: https://splus.equinoxoli.org/subjects/equinox_covid19tools. Equinox recently announced the launch of SubjectsPlus, a user-friendly, open source, content management system, and will be hosting a SubjectsPlus launch event immediately following the 2021 ALA Annual Conference on June 30, 2021 from 1:00pm-2:00pm (ET). Registration is now open: http://bit.ly/SubjectsPlus

“I am thankful we were able to provide educational resources to help our library communities safely transition to new working environments and new service models,” said Angela Kilsdonk, Product and Education Manager at Equinox. “It’s particularly heartening that the work we did during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the development of the equinoxEDU open educational program.”

The equinoxEDU program is now an ongoing educational initiative which delivers free and frequent opportunities for library and open source community members to learn about open source software, expand their skills, and network with library and information science professionals interested in open source software. The equinoxEDU program provides webinars, workshops, and an expanding video library. Learn more about equinoxEDU at https://www.equinoxoli.org/learn. 

“Libraries provide essential services and this is especially true in times of crisis. Library staff ensure access to urgent and timely information, critically important technologies, and library collections, all of which are substantial supports during quarantine and beyond,” said Carlucci. “The Equinox team extends our gratitude to the many library staff and frontline information service providers delivering library services and supporting communities worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Connect with Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo for the latest updates. 

To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup

For more information:

Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
EquinoxOLI.org
laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org
877.OPEN.ILS (877.673.6457)

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative provides innovative open source software for libraries of all types and delivers extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon more than a decade of trusted service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, software development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org. For Equinox Library Services Canada, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.ca.

About Evergreen
Evergreen Integrated Library System is an award winning and trusted library solution used by more than 1,800 libraries worldwide. Evergreen ILS is a web-based and mobile-friendly system which provides attractive, easy to use interfaces for library acquisitions, administration, cataloging, circulation, OPAC, reports, course reserves, and serials functionality.

Evergreen ILS is an enterprise level system designed to manage a scalable catalog shared across libraries, including large public and academic library consortia. While designed for large collections, Evergreen is suitable for libraries of any size and type from government libraries to museum and special library collections. Its flexibility enables libraries to configure policies and settings that work best for their communities and to maintain ownership of their library and systems data.

Evergreen differs from other library management systems in that there are no licensing fees. The software is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 3.0 or higher. For more information about Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.

About Koha ILS
Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha is the first open source Integrated Library System to be used worldwide. The software is a full-featured ILS with a dual-database design (search engine and RDBMS) built to be compliant with library standards. Koha’s OPAC, staff, and self-checkout interfaces are all web applications. Distributed under the General Public License (GPL), libraries are free to use and install Koha themselves or to purchase support and development services.  For more information on Koha, please visit https://koha-community.org.

###

Equinox Open Library Initiative Launches SubjectsPlus Content Management Software

Duluth, Ga., June 15, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative announces the launch of SubjectsPlus, a user-friendly, open source, content management system for sharing information. From subject guides, research guides, course materials, and course reserves, to classroom and curriculum content, digital and multimedia resources, online learning centers, and library websites, SubjectsPlus may be designed to support the information needs of your audience. SubjectsPlus provides tools to create information-rich resources, organize curated content around a topic, and to easily develop and manage an online home for your library’s web content. Use SubjectsPlus to create a digital bulletin board for library programs or summer reading materials, to advertise campus events, author signings, or community meetings, or to centralize content for library book clubs, committees, or volunteers.

Equinox provides SubjectsPlus training for librarians by librarians. Equinox’s team of MLIS-degreed librarians is experienced in providing research support to academic, government, law, and special libraries, as well as special collections and archives. Equinox’s services also include hosting, technical support, development, and web design. SubjectsPlus is flexible, customizable, and more affordable than proprietary alternatives. Join us for the SubjectsPlus launch event following the 2021 ALA Annual Conference at the equinoxEDU: Spotlight on SubjectsPlus on June 30, 2021 from 1:00pm-2:00pm Eastern. Registration is now open: http://bit.ly/SubjectsPlus

“We are thrilled to start offering services for SubjectsPlus,” said Galen Charlton, Implementation and IT Manager at Equinox. “As an easy-to-use web content manager, it is a great complement to the open source integrated library and electronic resource management systems that we already support. We are keen to see what our customers come up with as they use SubjectsPlus for their subject guides and websites.”

“I would like to acknowledge the many libraries and library staff that have used and developed SubjectsPlus over the years,” continued Charlton. “East Carolina University, Ithaca College, and the University of Miami, among many others, have given the library world a great tool. We’re looking forward to working with the community to help make it even more awesome.”

Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo for the latest updates.

To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup

For more information:
Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
EquinoxOLI.org
laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org
877.OPEN.ILS (877.673.6457)

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative provides innovative open source software for libraries of all types and delivers extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon more than a decade of trusted service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, software development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org. For Equinox Library Services Canada, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.ca.

About SubjectsPlus
SubjectsPlus is a user-friendly, open source, content management system for information sharing. SubjectsPlus provides tools to create information-rich subject guides, organize curated content for specific audiences in or around a research topic, and to develop and manage library websites. Developed by Joyner Library at East Carolina University it is maintained today by the University of Miami Libraries and the robust, international, SubjectsPlus community. To learn more visit: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/subjectsplus/

equinoxEDU: Spotlight on SubjectsPlus

Equinox EDU Spotlight

June 30, 2021 (1-2pm ET). Join us to learn about SubjectsPlus, an open source content management system that provides a user-friendly interface for managing your library’s web presence. No coding skills needed! This webinar will provide an overview of how SubjectsPlus can be used to create modern web pages for libraries to promote library resources, create unlimited topic and subject guides, and organize video content. Also learn how SubjectsPlus + Sequoia provides hosting and installation services to help libraries implement SubjectsPlus.

The equinoxEDU: Spotlight sessions are live webinars that are open and free to all! Sessions will be recorded and made available afterwards. Space to view the live webinar is limited to the first 100 attendees that join.

Register

CORAL Online Summit to be Hosted by Equinox Open Library Initiative

CORAL

REGISTRATION: https://www.equinoxoli.org/coral-online-summit/

Duluth, Ga., June 7, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the upcoming CORAL Online Summit on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. The free event is an opportunity for current and prospective users of the CORAL electronic resources management system to learn about CORAL and hear about best practices from CORAL community members. Registration link and full agenda are available at: https://www.equinoxoli.org/coral-online-summit/.

Presenters will cover how CORAL ERM is used in public, academic, and special libraries. Open discussion at the end of the event will be available for attendees to share experiences and feedback.

“Have you ever wondered if CORAL ERM could help with managing electronic resources at your library? This summit is an opportunity to learn more and discuss questions,” said Jennifer Weston, Product and Education Specialist at Equinox Open Library Initiative and coordinator of the CORAL Online Summit. “Sessions will include presenters currently employing CORAL ERM at their institutions as well as information about how to get involved with the community.”

CORAL ERM is used by libraries and institutions worldwide for management of electronic resources. The CORAL project is led by the CORAL ERM Steering Committee and the software is developed and maintained by community contributions to the project. Earlier this year, Equinox Open Library Initiative awarded the CORAL ERM Steering Committee with the Equinox Community Grant.

“The CORAL Steering Committee is excited to present the CORAL Online Summit and we invite you to join us on June 9th to experience what CORAL offers,” said Lisa Carlucci, Executive Director, Equinox Open Library Initiative. “CORAL is open source, modular, and flexible, which allows libraries to implement a customized, affordable solution for managing electronic resources, licensing, usage, and more.”

To stay up to date with the latest events and training opportunities, follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo.

To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup

For more information:
Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
EquinoxOLI.org
laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org
877.OPEN.ILS (877.673.6457)

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative provides innovative open source software for libraries of all types and delivers extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon more than a decade of trusted service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, software development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org. For Equinox Library Services Canada, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.ca.

About CORAL 
CORAL ERM is an electronic resources management system consisting of interoperable modules designed around the core components of managing electronic resources for libraries and other organizations.  CORAL is available as a free, open source program. To learn more please visit: http://coral-erm.org/