Atlanta, Ga., August 23, 2023: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the migration of the Wagner Free Institute of Science to Koha ILS as part of their membership with the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries.
The Wagner Free Institute of Science was founded in 1855 by William Wagner as part of his belief that a quality science education should be made available to everyone. The Wagner Free Institute of Science continues this tradition with evening courses, public lectures, field trips, and their free museum, library and archives. Their migration to Koha included 14,021 bibliographic records and 14,148 item records. Equinox provided implementation, hosting, support, and training services as part of the migration process.
“We made the perfect choice going with Equinox – it was wonderful to work with an organization that was as excited about special collections and Koha’s capabilities as we were,” said Lynn Dorwaldt, Special Collections Librarian at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. “Prior to finding Equinox, we were interested in open source but felt stuck between finding the funds for proprietary options and needing the staff to host it ourselves. It is wonderful to find a nonprofit offering these services to organizations like ours. We are excited to now be a part of the open source community.”
The Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries (PACSCL) was established in 1985 to enhance the visibility and support of member institutions. In the thirty years since its inception, it has doubled in size and continues to support area libraries through its working groups, project support, and setting of best practices.
“The Wagner Free Institute of Science’s dedication to education is an inspiration, and it was exciting to be a part of its long history in the Philadelphia community,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Product Analyst at Equinox. “We know Koha will bring the Wagner Free Institute of Science’s collections to a new generation of science lovers.”
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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 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is the successor to Equinox Software, Inc. Equinox’s mission as a nonprofit is to promote and support a thriving ecosystem for open source library communities in order to provide libraries worldwide with innovative, affordable, and sustainable open source solutions. We are devoted to reducing barriers to library technology and services, expanding library access to open source software, and providing high quality technology, consulting, and support services.To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org.
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/.