Laura Barry - Equinox Open Library Initiative

Equinox Community Grant Awarded to the CORAL ERM Steering Committee

Duluth, Ga., March 30, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the award of an Equinox Community Grant to the CORAL ERM Steering Committee. The Equinox Community Grant provides funding for open source projects and operational infrastructure in order to strengthen and support open source communities in libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations.

“CORAL, a powerful open source electronic resource management tool, is built for the community and by the community,” said Xiaoyan Song, Chair of the CORAL ERM Steering Committee, and Electronic Resources Librarian at North Carolina State University. “It relies on globally distributed volunteer teams including developers and librarians willing to take responsibility for its sustainability.”

CORAL ERM is used by libraries and institutions worldwide. The CORAL project is led by the CORAL Steering Committee and the software is developed and maintained by community contributions to the project. The Equinox Community Grant supports the communication needs of the CORAL project by funding the hosting and domain fees for the CORAL website for a period of ten years. The grant allows the CORAL Steering Committee to maintain their current website, share information about CORAL ERM, and to connect with present and future CORAL community members.

“Libraries need software for managing electronic resources, and this software needs to be reliable, affordable, and efficient. Many libraries maintain ERM data manually in spreadsheets because a dedicated system is beyond the budget,” said Lisa Carlucci, Executive Director, Equinox Open Library Initiative. “CORAL provides an innovative, user-friendly solution, along with an active community of peers who understand the work of electronic resources management. We’re proud to be a part of the CORAL community and to support libraries interested in using CORAL.”

Equinox Open Library Initiative developed this new grant opportunity following the success of the Equinox Open Source Grant, which provides implementation, hosting, training, and support for libraries interested in using Koha ILS. In 2020, Equinox funded the implementation of Koha ILS for Biblioteca Nacional de Puerto Rico and Spark Central, in Spokane, WA. In 2021, the Equinox Open Source grant will fund Koha ILS for The Vermont Jazz Center and the Center for Khmer Studies.

For updates on current projects follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

For more information:

Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
equinoxOLI.org
laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative Inc. is a 501(c)3 company engaging in literary, charitable, and educational endeavors serving libraries and knowledge institutions. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon a decade of exceptional service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. As a non-profit organization, Equinox is committed to providing innovative open source library solutions to libraries of all sizes and types. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org/.

About CORAL
CORAL 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/

About Evergreen ILS
Evergreen is an award-winning ILS developed to provide an open source product able to meet the diverse needs of consortia and high transaction public libraries. However, it has proven to be equally successful in smaller installations including special and academic libraries. Today, over 1500 libraries around the world are using Evergreen including NC Cardinal, SCLENDS, and B.C. Sitka. For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.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.

Equinox Announces equinoxEDU Education Program

Duluth, Ga., March 23, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to announce the launch of equinoxEDU, a comprehensive education program focused on open source technologies for libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions.

“We are excited to be offering a new suite of educational services to meet the needs of open source library communities,” said Angela Kilsdonk, product and education manager at Equinox. “This past year has seen increased demand for online and asynchronous education programs and we look forward to engaging with our library community members and partners on these new platforms.”

The equinoxEDU program includes: the Spotlight webinar series, educational Workshops, and an accompanying Resource Library. The equinoxEDU: Spotlight webinars will be presented monthly and include Q&A with subject experts. The first equinoxEDU: Spotlight session in February provided an overview of new feature highlights in the Evergreen ILS 3.6 release. Recordings of equinoxEDU: Spotlight sessions will be available on-demand as part of the equinoxEDU: Resource Library.

Beginning in May, the equinoxEDU: Workshop series will be introduced as a premium offering providing an in-depth look at distinct features and functionality of open source library technologies and present best practices on implementing and using these technologies. The equinoxEDU: Workshop sessions will be instructor-led training events and will include skill-building activities and downloadable resources.

The equinoxEDU: Resource Library will serve as a central repository for equinoxEDU content, from on-demand video tutorials and pre-recorded equinoxEDU: Spotlight webinars, to self-paced learning materials and resource guides. Offerings in the equinoxEDU: Resource Library will be freely available online.

For updates, subscribe to the equinoxEDU mailing list (http://eepurl.com/htAKcD) and follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Open Source Twitter Chat with Rogan Hamby #ChatOpenS

03/17/2021
Join us on Twitter @EquinoxOLI and the #ChatOpenS hashtag from 12-1pm EDT as we discuss all things #opensource & libraries. Moderated by Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Analyst for Equinox.

Evergreen Curbside Resources

Equinox has written a new feature for the Evergreen ILS to help libraries manage curbside pickup operations. This feature allows library staff and patrons to schedule appointments for patrons to pick up their available holds. It also adds a new staff interface for managing the staging and delivery of items that have been scheduled to be picked up. To learn about this feature, please see the following videos:

All Evergreen Curbside Pickup Videos

Introduction

Configuration

Staging and Delivery Workflow

Scheduling a Curbside Appointment

Patron Notices

EquinoxEDU: Spotlight on Evergreen 3.6

03/05/2021
Join us for an EquinoxEDU: Spotlight session on new features in the Evergreen ILS! In this live webinar we will highlight some of the newest features in version 3.6 of Evergreen. Topics will include a look at the new staff catalog, the new Course Reserves feature, and how to identify and manage unfillable holds.EquinoxEDU: Spotlight sessions are live webinars that are open and free to all! Sessions will be recorded and made available afterwards. Space is limited to the first 100 attendees that join the webinar. Register: bit.ly/3bF8Vlc

Equinox Migrates Clinton County Libraries To Evergreen With The PaILS/SPARK Consortium

Duluth, Ga., March 4, 2021: Equinox is pleased to welcome Clinton County Libraries to Evergreen with their successful migrations to the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System (PaILS) SPARK Consortium.

The migration included a total of 70,682 bibliographic records and will support 8,557 patrons. Services provided to the Clinton County Libraries by Equinox included project management and Evergreen software configuration. Data extraction and bibliographic deduplication were completed as part of their migration encompassing item, patron, and transaction records. Hosting and support was included with their addition to the PaILS/SPARK consortium as well as virtual training by Equinox.

“We’re looking forward to growing with this new system,” said Tammy Garrison, Executive Director of Clinton County Libraries. “All of the new features will not only let us help patrons, but will allow the patrons to take an active part in material and account management.”

PaILS was founded in June 2011 as a non-profit organization to provide an open source integrated library system. It oversees SPARK, a consortium of Evergreen libraries across Pennsylvania. Equinox and PaILS have been collaborating on the SPARK consortium since 2013.

“The successful migration of the Clinton County Libraries to PaILS/SPARK with Evergreen was conducted during the fall and winter months of 2020 and early 2021 while the libraries operated under shifting pandemic and weather restrictions,” said Jennifer Weston, Implementation Project Manager at Equinox. “Patrons are now able to access their library accounts remotely and they will be able to place holds online with the added benefit of being notified via text or email when materials are ready for pickup thanks to Evergreen’s curbside feature. It has been a real privilege and delight to work with the Clinton County Libraries to provide new opportunities for their library community.”

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative Inc. is a nonprofit company engaging in literary, charitable, and educational endeavors serving cultural and knowledge institutions. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., the Initiative carries forward a decade of service and experience with Evergreen and other open source library software. At Equinox OLI we help you empower your library with open source technologies. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxinitiative.org.

About Evergreen
Evergreen is an award-winning ILS developed to provide an open source product able to meet the diverse needs of consortia and high transaction public libraries. However, it has proven to be equally successful in smaller installations including special and academic libraries. Today, over 1500 libraries around the world are using Evergreen including NC Cardinal, SCLENDS, and B.C. Sitka. For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

Equinox Migrates Bowling Green Public Library To Missouri Evergreen Consortium

Duluth, Ga., February 01, 2021

Equinox is pleased to welcome the Bowling Green Public Library to Evergreen with their successful migration to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium.

Bowling Green Public Library’s move will support 4,444 patrons and includes a total of 20,517 bibliographic records. Equinox provided project management for the migration along with Evergreen ILS software configuration. Data extraction and bibliographic deduplication were also completed, encompassing item, patron, and transaction records. Evergreen training was also provided by Equinox. This is the sixth public library that Equinox has migrated to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium since 2020.

“Everyone at the Bowling Green Public Library is thrilled to be joining the Missouri Evergreen consortium,” said Patricia Moore, Library Director at the Bowling Green Public Library. “The transition has been smooth and we are looking forward to working with other libraries.”

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.

“Bowling Green Public Library’s migration to Missouri Evergreen happened during a time when the library was offering limited public access to materials while continuing to provide alternative services due to COVID-19 restrictions. Library director, Patricia Moore, led an heroic effort to manage the library’s migration project during this time,” says Jennifer Weston, project manager at Equinox. “As a result of Bowling Green’s diligent efforts, their patrons now have an interactive OPAC to place holds on materials and receive notifications when materials are ready to be picked up. For the first time, their patrons can now review and manage their library accounts online. It was truly an honor to work with Pat and the Bowling Green Library to provide new opportunities for the library community.”

About Equinox Open Library Initiative

Equinox Open Library Initiative is a nonprofit company engaging in literary, charitable, and educational endeavors serving cultural and knowledge institutions. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox carries forward more than a decade of service and experience with Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. At Equinox, we help you empower your library with open source technologies. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxinitiative.org/.

About Evergreen

Evergreen is an award-winning ILS developed to provide an open source product able to meet the diverse needs of consortia and high transaction public libraries. However, it has proven to be equally successful in smaller installations including special and academic libraries. Today, over 1500 libraries around the world are using Evergreen including NC Cardinal, SCLENDS, and B.C. Sitka. For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

Equinox Year In Review 2020

We invite you to join us in looking back at our projects and activities from 2020. The attached Year in Review offers highlights from the year, with information on our monthly Twitter chat, the Equinox Open Source Grant, migrations and software updates, and more. As we look ahead, we’re inspired to find new ways to partner and collaborate with you in 2021. Thank you for your business, community, and support.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season, from all of us at Equinox.

Sincerely,

Lisa Carlucci
Executive Director

Equinox Year In Review 2020

Equinox Migrates Welland Public Library To The Libraries In Niagara Cooperative

Duluth, Ga., December 17, 2020

Equinox is pleased to welcome the Welland Public Library to Evergreen with their successful migration to the Libraries in Niagara Cooperative (LiNC) in Canada.

“The Welland Public Library is thrilled to expand access to library materials for our cardholders and share our collections and resources with member libraries in the LiNC cooperative. Our patrons have responded very well to the new system and are excited to begin borrowing materials available at partner libraries in 2021,” says Julianne Brunet, CEO of the Welland Public Library. “Joining LiNC has strengthened our relationship with neighbouring libraries, and we look forward to working together to improve library services for Niagara residents.”

The Welland Public Library’s move will support 26,134 patrons and encompass a total of 113,709 bibliographic records. Services provided by Equinox included project management, training, and Evergreen software configuration. Data extraction and bibliographic deduplication were completed as part of their migration, including item, patron, and transaction records. LiNC was established in 2010 between four public libraries and a college library and has since grown to 10 organizations. In 2017, the cooperative began resource sharing.

“When Welland Public Library began a migration to LiNC, their libraries had been closed for several months due to COVID-19. The Welland staff, led by Library Director Julianne Brunet, worked diligently and persistently during the summer and fall to ensure a successful data migration. In January, Welland Public Library will begin participating in a resource sharing arrangement to offer their patrons access to items from other LiNC libraries,” says Jennifer Weston, project manager at Equinox. “It has been an absolute joy and privilege to work with Welland Public Library as they join LiNC to offer expanded services to their communities during these unprecedented times.”

About Equinox Open Library Initiative

Equinox Open Library Initiative is a nonprofit company engaging in literary, charitable and educational endeavors serving cultural and knowledge institutions. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox carries forward more than a decade of service and experience with Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS and other open-source library software. At Equinox, we help you empower your library with open-source technologies. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxinitiative.org/.

About Evergreen

Evergreen is an award-winning ILS developed to provide an open source product able to meet the diverse needs of consortia and high transaction public libraries. However, it has proven to be equally successful in smaller installations, including special and academic libraries. Today, over 1,500 libraries around the world are using Evergreen, including NC Cardinal, SCLENDS and B.C. Sitka. For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

Equinox migrates Grimsby Public Library to Libraries in Niagara Cooperative

Duluth, Ga., December 10, 2020: Equinox is pleased to welcome the Grimsby Public Library to Evergreen with their successful migration to the Libraries in Niagara Cooperative (LiNC).

The Grimsby Public Library’s move supports 13,793 patrons and encompasses a total of 48,111 bibliographic records. Services provided by Equinox included project management and Evergreen software configuration. Data extraction and bibliographic deduplication were completed as part of their migration encompassing item, patron, and transaction records. Evergreen training was also provided by Equinox.

“The Grimsby Public Library is excited to join the shared LiNC Evergreen ILS. This substantially expands the number of items available to our patrons through resource sharing with neighbouring libraries,” said Kathryn Drury, CEO and chief librarian at the Grimsby Public Library. “Equinox has provided excellent technical support throughout this process, including invaluable weekly migration meetings.”

LiNC was established in 2010 between four public libraries and a college library and has since grown to 10 organizations. In 2017, the cooperative began resource sharing.

“Grimsby staff were wonderful to work with,” said Jason Etheridge, senior developer at Equinox, “and our responsive communication led to a smooth migration.”

About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative is a nonprofit company engaging in literary, charitable, and educational endeavors serving cultural and knowledge institutions. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox carries forward more than a decade of service and experience with Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. At Equinox, we help you empower your library with open source technologies. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxinitiative.org/.

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