Equinox Welcomes the Missouri Evergreen Consortium to Aspen Discovery
Atlanta, Ga., January 14, 2025: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that the Missouri Evergreen Consortium has selected Equinox to provide implementation, hosting, and support for Aspen Discovery. Equinox also provided project management, system configuration, and training for consortium members.
“The Missouri Evergreen Consortium created a pilot program where fifteen libraries would deploy Aspen Discovery, and other members could install the solution when their library was able to take on the project. Building on the success of the first fifteen, we already have inquiries from other members asking when they can join,” said Steven Potter, Executive Director of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium.
The Missouri Evergreen Consortium is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which began in 2012. It serves more than 730,000 patrons in Missouri at more than 200 library outlets. Learn more at: http://moevergreenlibraries.org/
“Aspen Discovery offers many advantages to consortium members such as customizable interfaces, search optimization, and a variety of integration options,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “We are proud to support the Missouri Evergreen Consortium in providing Aspen Discovery’s powerful and user friendly search to patrons.”
To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup
For more information:
Laura Barry
Communications Coordinator
Equinox Open Library Initiative
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 Aspen Discovery
Aspen Discovery is an open source discovery layer that powerfully gathers all of a library’s resources together into a single search. Aspen Discovery provides comprehensive access to the entirety of a library’s holdings, pulling in data from the ILS and licensed databases. For more information on Aspen Discovery: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/aspen-discovery/.
Equinox Welcomes Odessa College to Koha ILS
Atlanta, Ga., January 9, 2025: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the latest addition to the Koha community with the migration of Odessa College’s Learning Resource Center to Koha ILS with Equinox support.
“Odessa College successfully migrated to Koha ILS, an open source software, with Equinox,” said Robyn Millar, Community Engagement and Resources Librarian at Odessa College. “Equinox supports Odessa College’s mission to expand access to affordable higher education by offering an innovative and intuitive software solution that helps reduce operational costs. Koha enhances access to library resources by streamlining the Learning Resource Center’s catalog management and improving the user experience for students and faculty.”
Odessa College was founded in 1946 and offers associate’s, bachelor’s and certificate programs for the arts and sciences in addition to career and technical training. The Learning Resource Center serves 20,000 patrons with 9,300 titles. Equinox provided implementation and training services during the migration and will continue to provide hosting and technical support.
“Koha is a natural fit for academic libraries,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “Its ease of use and active developer community place responsive and cutting edge features at the fingertips of its user base, and improves the experience for students and faculty. We are excited to welcome Odessa College to Koha.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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. For more information on Koha: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/koha/.
Equinox Provides VuFind® Consulting and IT Services for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Atlanta, Ga., January 7, 2025: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) to provide technical consulting for HSP’s implementation of the open source discovery layer, VuFind®.
Equinox worked with HSP to update their two VuFind® systems: Discover (https://discover.hsp.org) and Encounters (https://encounters.hsp.org). These systems bring together metadata from their library catalog, encoded archival description (EAD) records from Archivists’ Toolkit, records from the Orphan Society of Philadelphia, and digital records from the HSP Digital Library and the Philadelphia Record Photograph Morgue.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania was established in 1824 and preserves a collection of over 21 million manuscripts, books, and images. Through educator workshops, research opportunities, and public programs the Historical Society of Pennsylvania seeks to make history relevant and exhilarating for all.
HSP developed a mini-ILS to maintain their library records, but later partnered with the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to host HSP’s catalog. At the time, HSP’s Discover system could not integrate content from the Penn catalog. Equinox worked with HSP and Penn staff to establish a data feed to retrieve records from the catalog and make them visible in VuFind®. Equinox also upgraded HSP’s Discover system from VuFind® 5 to version 9.1.
“Equinox’s mission includes providing IT support and services for special collections and archives seeking to expand discoverability and access to collections using open source technologies,” said Felicia Beaudry, Business Development Manager at Equinox. “We were pleased to work with HSP to update their VuFind® systems and help them complete the work they started with the University of Pennsylvania.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 VuFindⓇ
VuFindⓇ is an open source discovery product for libraries and archives developed and maintained by Villanova University’s Falvey Memorial Library. VuFindⓇ enables library users to discover the entirety of libraries’ collections, including catalog records, journals, digital items, and more. VuFindⓇ is open source and customizable—the interface may be configured to best meet users’ needs. For more information on VuFindⓇ: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/vufind/.
Equinox Designs Children’s Theme for Aspen Discovery for Central Skagit Library District
Atlanta, Ga., December 12, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the release of a children’s theme for Aspen Discovery designed for the Central Skagit Library District, a member of the Skagit Evergreen Libraries.
“Equinox was a fantastic partner to have on board when our library group chose to create a children’s page,” said Millissa Macomber, ILS Manager at Central Skagit Library District. “The project came about as part of a partnership with a local school district. The faculty expressed a desire to have the main catalog display custom groups and materials. We took on the challenge and with a lot of help from Equinox we now have a page that works for the school. Future uses are in the works as we talk with other school districts about possible applications.”
Skagit Evergreen Libraries launched in 2011 and now encompasses four libraries in Skagit County, Washington. Equinox has been working with the consortium since it formed in 2011. Skagit deployed Aspen Discovery in 2022.
Aspen Discovery is a highly customizable, open source discovery layer for libraries, bringing together the library’s resources, databases, and events into one searchable and browsable environment. Aspen Discovery’s customizable themes can improve the accessibility of a library’s resources in addition to seamless brand integration.
“There is nothing more important than opening the library to the next generation of patrons,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “Aspen Discovery is so flexible when it comes to customization and accessibility; it was a fun project to create an access point devoted to the Central Skagit Library District’s children’s program. We hope that it will serve members of their community for years to come.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 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 to museum and special collection libraries. 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 on Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.
About Aspen Discovery
Aspen Discovery is an open source discovery layer that powerfully gathers all of a library’s resources together into a single search. Aspen Discovery provides comprehensive access to the entirety of a library’s holdings, pulling in data from the ILS and licensed databases. For more information on Aspen Discovery: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/aspen-discovery/.
Equinox Partners with Unique Management Services to Launch MessageBee SMS for the Missouri Evergreen Consortium
Atlanta, Ga., December 10, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that the Missouri Evergreen Consortium is live on MessageBee SMS services through a partnership between Equinox and Unique Management Services.
“Message Bee has completely changed our service to our clients by providing a trustworthy and reliable service,” said Carrie Cline, President of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium. “With MessageBee clients consistently receive our texts, and the feedback has been very positive, opening up conversations about Missouri Evergreen’s other great features.”
The Missouri Evergreen Consortium is made up of 76 member libraries, serving more than 790,000 patrons throughout Missouri. Learn more at: http://moevergreenlibraries.org/
Unique Management Services’ MessageBee helps libraries connect with patrons via email, SMS, and phone. MessageBee’s design streamlines communication workflows for libraries and maintains the library’s brand. More information about MessageBee is available at: https://uniquelibrary.com/messagebee/.
“On a consortial level, MessageBee SMS can make an outsized impact in improving communication for libraries and their communities across an entire geographic area,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “We are pleased to play a part in providing this tool to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium with Unique Management Services.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 Unique Management Services
Unique Management Services has specialized in helping libraries with a wide array of communication processes since 1996. From incoming customer service to outgoing email, voice, and text messaging, Unique Management Services delivers millions of communications each month for libraries across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.uniquelibrary.com.
Equinox Welcomes the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs to Sequoia Hosting for Evergreen ILS
Atlanta, Ga., December 5, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to welcome the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) to Sequoia, Equinox’s premiere cloud-based hosting and support service. UBCIC migrated from a self-hosted Evergreen ILS to hosting with Equinox to ensure the sustainability of its unique ILS environment.
“We selected Equinox in order to establish a more secure and robust hosting strategy,” said Spencer Davis, Technical Manager at UBCIC. “UBCIC uses an alternative classification scheme, the Brian Deer Classification system (BDC), to better serve and center Indigenous knowledge systems. When considering changes and upgrades to our ILS, it was important to prioritize its ease, functionality, and visibility. Equinox’s training helped us realize we could substantially augment both our Evergreen installation itself and our skills to cater to the specific requirements of our library, staff, and patrons. Equinox was able to provide all of this in a very friendly and capable manner.”
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs works to give the aboriginal peoples of British Columbia a voice at the local and international level. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Library and Archives focuses on British Columbia land rights research.
“Supporting access to cultural and indigenous resources and promoting sustainability with open source tools are part of Equinox’s unique nonprofit mission,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “We’re excited to collaborate with UBCIC by hosting Evergreen and to help increase the visibility of these significant collections.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 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 to museum and special collection libraries. 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 on Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.
Equinox Partners with Unique Management Services to Launch MessageBee SMS for the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System
Atlanta, Ga., November 26, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System (PaILS) is live on MessageBee SMS services through a partnership with Unique Management Services.
PaILS was founded in June 2011 as a non-profit organization to provide an open source integrated library system for Pennsylvania libraries. It oversees SPARK, the Evergreen ILS managed by PaILS on behalf of its member libraries across Pennsylvania. Equinox and PaILS have worked together to support SPARK since 2013.
“MessageBee has allowed us to considerably improve the deliverability and quality of the text messages sent to SPARK library users,” said Katie Greenleaf Martin, Executive Director at PaILS. “Because we partnered with Equinox, we were able to implement the service rapidly and with no disruption to our member libraries.”
Unique Management Services’ MessageBee helps libraries connect with patrons via email, SMS, and phone. MessageBee’s design streamlines communication workflows for libraries and maintains the library’s brand. More information about MessageBee is available at: https://uniquelibrary.com/messagebee/.
“Our partnership with Unique Management Services in offering MessageBee SMS has been a highly sought out addition by libraries,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “It meets a core need in connecting libraries and patrons. We are excited to welcome PaILS as the latest consortium we support providing this service to its members.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 Unique Management Services
Unique Management Services has specialized in helping libraries with a wide array of communication processes since 1996. From incoming customer service to outgoing email, voice, and text messaging, Unique Management Services delivers millions of communications each month for libraries across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.uniquelibrary.com.
Equinox Welcomes the Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County to Evergreen ILS, Aspen Discovery, and MessageBee with the Missouri Evergreen Consortium
Atlanta, Ga., November 21, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to welcome the Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County, Missouri to Evergreen ILS, Aspen Discovery, and MessageBee SMS as part of their membership with the Missouri Evergreen Consortium.
The Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County consists of nine community libraries in St. Louis County, Missouri. Resource sharing within the consortium has provided their communities with access to over 700,000 volumes. Equinox provided implementation and training services during the migration and will continue to provide hosting and technical support.
The Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County is the first of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium libraries to begin using Aspen Discovery. They will also be using MessageBee SMS through Equinox’s partnership with Unique Management Services.
“The Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County is excited to join our cohorts in the Missouri Evergreen Consortium,” said Ashley Bryant, Director of the Maplewood Public Library and President of the Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County. “Equinox was up to the task and worked closely with us to make the transition as smooth as possible. We were so pleased to be able to grant our patrons access to an additional 4 million items through the Missouri Evergreen catalog immediately upon our scheduled go-live time!”
The Missouri Evergreen Consortium is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which began in 2012. Learn more at: http://moevergreenlibraries.org/
“Open source software helps consortia provide sustainable technological support and growth,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “The Municipal Library Consortium of St. Louis County represents a wide range of communities, and I’m eager to see the staff and patrons grow with the consortium.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 Unique Management Services
Unique Management Services has specialized in helping libraries with a wide array of communication processes since 1996. From incoming customer service to outgoing email, voice, and text messaging, Unique Management Services delivers millions of communications each month for libraries across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.uniquelibrary.com.
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 to museum and special collection libraries. 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 on Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.
About Aspen Discovery
Aspen Discovery is an open source discovery layer that powerfully gathers all of a library’s resources together into a single search. Aspen Discovery provides comprehensive access to the entirety of a library’s holdings, pulling in data from the ILS and licensed databases. For more information on Aspen Discovery: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/aspen-discovery/.
Equinox Partners with Unique Management Services to Launch MessageBee SMS for the OWWL Library System
Atlanta, Ga., November 19, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that the OWWL Library System (OWWL), a New York cooperative public library system that supports libraries in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, and Livingston Counties, is live on MessageBee SMS services through a partnership with Unique Management Services.
“We’re thrilled that our longtime partners at Equinox Open Library Initiative have worked with Unique Management Services to offer a reliable text message notification service,” said Ron Kirsop, Executive Director of the OWWL Library System. “We’re grateful to the teams at Equinox and Unique Management Services for the seamless transition to using MessageBee for all of our SMS communications.”
Unique Management Services’ MessageBee helps libraries connect with patrons via email, SMS, and phone. MessageBee’s design streamlines communication workflows for libraries and maintains the library’s brand. More information about MessageBee is available at: https://uniquelibrary.com/messagebee/.
“We have been proud to provide OWWL with solutions that best support their community, such as Aspen Discovery last year,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “MessageBee will be another valuable service available to their patrons, and we were happy we could offer MessageBee alongside Unique Management Services.”
Follow Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook and LinkedIn 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
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 open source solutions. Equinox is 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 Unique Management Services
Unique Management Services has specialized in helping libraries with a wide array of communication processes since 1996. From incoming customer service to outgoing email, voice, and text messaging, Unique Management Services delivers millions of communications each month for libraries across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.uniquelibrary.com.