Equinox Presents at 2021 Koha-US Annual Conference

Erica

Atlanta, Ga., September 20, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative, an expert leader in open source technology development and support for Koha ILS is pleased to announce that Erica Rohlfs, Senior Implementation Project Manager, will be presenting at the 2021 Koha-US Annual Conference. Rohlfs will be presenting The Versatility of Authorized Values on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 2:00pm CDT. The presentation will provide an overview of predefined authorized values for Koha ILS, how they interact with the System Preferences and the Patron Attribute Class, and how to create new authorized values.

The 2021 Koha-US Annual Conference is a hybrid event taking place in person in McKinney, Texas, and online for virtual participants. The first two days of the conference will be streamed live, including Rohlfs’ presentation, on the Koha-US YouTube Channel which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/kohaUS.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to be back with the Koha-US community, even if virtually,” said Erica Rohlfs. “It has been clear to me over the past year that, more than ever, ongoing education and community engagement are what will allow Koha and its user libraries to thrive. I am grateful to be able to play a part in supporting Koha-US through its annual conference.”

Erica Rohlfs, who earned her MLIS from Drexel University with a concentration in digital libraries, informs her presentation with over fifteen years of experience providing open source technology services for libraries including Koha ILS and Evergreen ILS.

“Equinox is committed to promoting open source community education and engagement and one way we do this is through conferences,” said Galen Charlton, Implementation and IT Manager at Equinox. “Erica brings a wealth of experience to her presentation and we are looking forward to seeing her work highlighted at the 2021 Koha-US Annual Conference.”

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 Koha ILS
Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha Integrated Library System 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://www.equinoxoli.org/products/koha/.

 

Equinox Welcomes James Memorial Public Library to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium

Duluth, Ga., September 14, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative, an expert leader in open source technology, development, and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the migration of the James Memorial Public Library to Evergreen ILS as the newest member of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium.

The James Memorial Public Library was founded in 1938 by the James Foundation. In 2013 the foundation gifted the library, all of its contents, and the first year’s expenses to the City of Saint James. As a member of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium, James Memorial Public Library will use Evergreen ILS managed by Equinox on the Sequoia hosting platform. The Library now supports 2,105 patrons and 23,614 bibliographic records. Equinox provided project management, system configuration, staff training, and support during the migration.

“Switching to Missouri Evergreen has offered so much to our patrons,” said Michael Lewis, Library Director at the James Memorial Library. “They can renew their books, place holds for themselves, get books from different libraries – we have more options than our library knows what to do with and there is still more to discover.”

The Missouri Evergreen Consortium began as a resource-sharing initiative in 2012 in an effort to create an integrated library system for libraries in Missouri. The consortium is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act as Administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

“James Memorial Library’s mission is to encourage reading and the use of  technology for life-long learning and the enhancement of the individual’s quality of life,” said Jason Etheridge, Senior Developer at Equinox Open Library Initiative. “I am pleased to have played a part in promoting that mission.”

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, delivering extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative celebrates fifteen years of providing trusted service and technical expertise to libraries, including 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.

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.
 
For more information about Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.

 

equinoxEDU: Spotlight on Customer Engagement with Patron Point

Equinox EDU Spotlight

September 29, 2021 (1-2pm ET). Join us to learn how Patron Point can help your library engage your patrons. Patron Point offers a full marketing pathway for your library, from signing up and onboarding new patrons, to using data to segment your audience, and tips for how to educate them about everything your library has to offer. Also, come learn about Equinox’s plans to provide libraries with a seamless experience via API integration with Patron Point and other third party services.

Register

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

Equinox Welcomes Henry County Library to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium

Duluth, Ga., August 30, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative, an expert leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the migration of Henry County Library to Evergreen ILS as part of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium. Evergreen Integrated Library System is an award winning and trusted library solution used by more than 1,800 libraries worldwide.

Henry County Library, founded in 1927 by the Women’s Civic Club, was the first library in Clinton, Missouri. Since then, it has grown to support 10,640 patrons with a collection of 58,935 bibliographic records. The migration project was supported by Equinox’s remote training team of degreed librarians. Henry County Library will be hosted on Sequoia which supports library automation services with 99.9% uptime.

“I have really enjoyed working with the migration team at Equinox,” said Debbie Jones, Assistant Director at Henry County Library. “They have been very helpful and supportive – a fantastic group of people to work with. It was because of them that the transition to Missouri Evergreen has been smooth and painless!”

The Missouri Evergreen Consortium began as a resource-sharing initiative in 2012 in an effort to create an integrated library system for libraries in Missouri. The consortium is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act as Administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

“It was a wonderful experience working with Henry County Library and the support team at the Missouri Evergreen Consortium,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Analyst at Equinox. “Henry County Library staff dove right into the project and were engaged at every step which made my job of enabling them to get up and running as smoothly as possible a pleasure. I have every confidence that the Missouri Evergreen Consortium is going to benefit from Henry County Library’s contributions and that Henry County Library will benefit from the wonderful Evergreen community in Missouri.”

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 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/.

equinoxEDU: Spotlight on CORAL ERM

Equinox EDU Spotlight

August 25, 2021 (1-2pm ET). Say goodbye to your spreadsheets and hello to an open source solution for managing electronic resources! Join us to learn how CORAL ERM can help your library manage electronic resource subscriptions and purchases.  This webinar will provide an overview of CORAL’s modules for managing electronic resources, acquisitions, licensing, vendors, and reporting.  CORAL is a great tool for libraries of all types to manage the increasing complexities of electronic resources.

Register

Center for Khmer Studies Goes Live on Koha ILS

Duluth, Ga., August 3, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the successful implementation of Koha ILS at the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS), with funding provided by the Equinox Open Source Grant. The grant provides implementation, training, hosting, and support services for Koha ILS, an open source integrated library system used by libraries worldwide.

First launched in 2019, the Equinox Open Source Grant was inspired by the vibrant open source community and the belief that every community deserves to benefit from a searchable, accessible, and thriving library. Previous recipients include Biblioteca Nacional de Puerto Rico (BNPR) and Spark Central of Spokane, Washington.

“The Center for Khmer Studies promotes research, teaching and public service,” said Natharoun Ngo, Director of the Center for Khmer Studies. “Koha helps us deliver our services to scholars across the globe as well as our local Cambodian community. Our library staff is already helping our visitors discover more of our collection with the online catalog.”

The Center for Khmer Studies supports a vibrant collection pertaining to the social sciences, arts and humanities in Cambodia and the Mekong region. Their library opened in 2001 and now encompasses around 19,000 titles. The Center for Khmer Studies not only supports academic researchers but is open to the general public. They are supported by their satellite office in New York.

“It has been thrilling to help transition the Center for Khmer Studies to Koha under Equinox’s Open Source Grant,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Analyst at Equinox. “Their unique collection is now on a robust platform with a toolset that will let their exceptional staff expand the library’s services for years to come and position them to provide their services both to regional and international researchers.”

More details about Equinox’s grant initiatives can be found here: https://www.equinoxoli.org/collaborate/#grant. 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 The Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) 
The Center for Khmer Studies is a non-governmental and non-profit organization. CKS facilitates research and international exchange through programs that increase understanding of Cambodia and its region both within Cambodia and at American universities. CKS maintains the largest public academic library in Cambodia outside of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. To learn more about what we do, please visit https://khmerstudies.org/.

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://www.equinoxoli.org/products/koha/.

Vermont Jazz Center Goes Live on Koha ILS

Duluth, Ga., August 2, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the successful implementation of Koha ILS at the Vermont Jazz Center of Brattleboro, Vermont, with funding provided by the Equinox Open Source Grant. The grant provides implementation, training, hosting, and support services for Koha ILS, an open source integrated library system used by libraries worldwide.

First launched in 2019, the Equinox Open Source Grant was inspired by the vibrant open source community and the belief that every community deserves to benefit from a searchable, accessible, and thriving library. Previous recipients include Biblioteca Nacional de Puerto Rico (BNPR) and Spark Central of Spokane, Washington.

“The Vermont Jazz Center’s cataloging capabilities using Koha provide us the technology and platform to allow aficionados and academics access to the resources available within our holdings,” said Eugene Uman, Executive Director at the Vermont Jazz Center. “We are grateful beyond words to Equinox for awarding us an Equinox Open Source Grant so that we could afford the high quality training that positions us as team players in the world of jazz research. It is thanks to the friendly and expert training we received from the Equinox team that we are moving in the direction of self-sustainability.”

The Vermont Jazz Center’s history reaches back to the early 1970’s, when its founding director, jazz guitarist Attila Zoller, would invite musicians and students from New York City to unwind at his home in Newfane, Vermont. The organization incorporated in 1974 and was awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1989.

“I was excited to see the Vermont Jazz Center awarded the Equinox Open Source grant,” said Erica Rohlfs, Senior Implementation Project Manager at Equinox. “It’s been an absolute pleasure working with their team. The Vermont Jazz Center has a clear vision of how they want to share their archives with the public. It was inspiring to play a role in watching their vision come to fruition.”

More details about Equinox’s grant initiatives can be found here: https://www.equinoxoli.org/collaborate/#grant. 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.

Vermont Jazz Center
Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) is a 501(c)3, non-profit jazz programming and education institution that provides high quality jazz to a rural area in Southeastern Vermont. VJC’s history reaches back to the early 1970s, when its founding Director, jazz guitarist Attila Zoller, would invite musicians and students from New York City to unwind at his home in Newfane, Vermont. The organization incorporated in 1974 and was awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1989. To learn more about VJC please visit https://vtjazz.org/.

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.

 

Select Images to Elevate Content

By Corey Grant, Green Vegan Media and Laura Barry, Equinox Open Library Initiative

When it’s time to find photos to pair with your next project, here are a few tips that have helped us:

  • Where to find photos: stock photography sites. There are many stock photography sites available, and they all vary in price points and subscription cost. You may want to try a few stock sites to see what works best for you.
    • iStock, a favorite overall due to price, content available, quality, and subject matter (subscription-based; license)
    • Pixabay, (free for non-commercial and commercial use; license) 
    • Pexels, (free to use for non-commercial and commercial use; license)
    • When your budget allows for original photography, that is ideal
  • How to select photos, overall photo composition. When searching for photos, it takes time to find just the right one. These are a few things to keep in mind:
    • Images of people are relatable, with just the right nuances. Here’s what we find works best:
      • People not looking directly at the camera
      • Real people, not models
      • Diversity/inclusivity. Consider bias in marketing – aim to create a portfolio of images for your guides that ensures historically underrepresented groups are positively and authentically portrayed
      • People performing some action—talking on a bench, reading a book, etc.
      • Photos with a background vs a stark white background
    • Non-people—more flexibility, but less relatable. If the subject matter is difficult, abstract images work well. Try to find a similar aesthetic to create continuity—be it color, texture, or style.
    • Overall composition—current look/feel, not dated
  • Subject matter, keywords to use. Keywords will vary and are usually trial and error. However, once you select an image, the option to view similar images is sometimes available and can be helpful, as well as keywords and/or description metadata that is already tagged with a photo.
    • Specific to libraries, keywords that may be helpful:
      • Study
      • Education
      • University
      • Bookshelf

Then it all comes down to having the right content management tool for the job: SubjectsPlus is an open source solution that can unlock the potential of subject guides, library websites and more.