Laura Barry - Equinox Open Library Initiative

Equinox Partners with Unique Management Services to Launch MessageBee SMS for the Traverse des Sioux Library System

Atlanta, Ga., October 30, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that Traverse des Sioux Library System is live on MessageBee SMS services through a partnership with Unique Management Services.

Traverse des Sioux Library System is a regional library system of libraries of all types in the south central region of Minnesota.

“MessageBee’s service allows our library consortium to more effectively deliver our SMS notices to patrons,” said Seth Erickson, Director of IT Systems at the Traverse des Sioux Library System. “The implementation went well – Equinox worked directly with Unique Management Services and managed the setup on the Evergreen end and was very responsive during the entire process.”

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/.

“MessageBee SMS provides a simple but powerful service that connects libraries and patrons,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “At a consortial and cooperative level, its impact will be significant and we are excited to provide MessageBee SMS to Traverse des Sioux Library System.”

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 Announces Major Features in Evergreen 3.14

Atlanta, Ga., October 28, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the release of Evergreen 3.14, the latest version of the award-winning library software used by more than 1,800 libraries worldwide. The Equinox team contributed 6 major features, 5 minor features, and 28 out of 57 bugfixes.

As part of Equinox’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, and in partnership with BC Libraries Cooperative (BCLC), Equinox’s Evergreen 3.14 development addressed headings, structured tables, and the use of clear labels to make the public catalog easier to navigate for those utilizing screen readers and other assistive devices. This represents a significant enhancement to both the usability and overall accessibility of the catalog.

The Equinox team also completed one of the most anticipated features in the Evergreen 3.14 release, Angular Record Buckets. Equinox ported Evergreen’s Record Bucket interface to a modernized web framework, improved usability, and added significant functional improvements. Administrators can now manage buckets across organizations, and buckets can be automatically generated from report outputs. This feature was sponsored by the Evergreen Community Development Initiative (ECDI).

Another anticipated feature in Evergreen 3.14 is Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) for Evergreen’s staff client. This development supports several types of MFA factors and features a variety of options for the local Evergreen administrator to configure. Equinox partnered with ECDI to complete this major infrastructural update to Evergreen.

Equinox’s other major feature contributions include:

Reports Security Improvements (BCLC)
Staff Client Dark Mode (King County Library System)
Improvements to the Experimental Angular Circulation interfaces (King County Library System)

More detail about these and other features can be found in the release notes here: https://evergreen-ils.org/documentation/release/RELEASE_NOTES_3_14.html

“The Equinox development team was excited to develop usability and security improvements for Evergreen 3.14,” said Andrea Buntz Neiman, Project Manager for Software Development at Equinox. “These are some of the most heavily used interfaces in Evergreen. Accessibility development has been one of Equinox’s highest priority initiatives and we are proud that each new Evergreen release pushes that goal forward. We’re grateful to our community partners for helping to improve Evergreen with every release.”

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 Announces Q3 Evergreen Project Contributions

Atlanta, Ga.,October 8, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce Q3 development projects for Evergreen:

Lassos & Policies Phase I (PaILS)
EG-Quipu Integration (PaILS)
X12 Advanced Shipping Notifications (KCLS)
OPAC Accessibility Fixes (BC Libraries Cooperative)

One of the most anticipated features in the upcoming 3.14 release is Angular Record Buckets. Equinox ported Evergreen’s Record Bucket interface to a more modern web framework and added significant usability and functional improvements. Administrators can now manage buckets across organizations, and buckets can be automatically generated from report outputs.

BC Libraries Cooperative sponsored an extensive accessibility review and bugfixes for Evergreen’s public catalog (OPAC). Fixes provided by Equinox include appropriate headings, table structures, and labels. These standardized page elements will improve navigation with screen readers and other accessibility tools.

Equinox partnered with developers from Quipu Inc. to standardize and expand existing bespoke plugins with the goal of a single, configurable Evergreen plugin to use with Quipu’s eCARD and eRENEW products. This is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System (PaILS), and PaILS will be piloting this new work later this fall.

With the support of the King County Library System (KCLS), Equinox developers added a new method using the X12 protocol for materials vendors that need to send automated Advanced Shipping Notifications (ASN). This will improve automated Acquisitions methods and increase the number of vendors whose automated messages are supported.

“We are looking forward to another feature-rich release with Evergreen 3.14,” said Andrea Buntz Neiman, Project Manager for Software Development at Equinox. “Equinox is proud to work with its community partners to bring modernization and new features for the entire Evergreen community. Stay tuned because we’ll have more exciting features coming up in the spring release!”

Many thanks to Q3 development partners: King County Library System, Evergreen Community Development Initiative, BC Libraries Cooperative, and the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System for supporting these projects.

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 at the Pennsylvania Library Association 2024 Conference

Atlanta, Ga., September 26, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, will be exhibiting at the Pennsylvania Library Association 2024 Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, starting October 6, 2024 and running through October 9, 2024. Equinox will be available throughout the conference to share information about supported products including Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, and CORAL ERM at Booth 21.

Equinox proudly supports Pennsylvania libraries. Equinox has hosted Evergreen ILS for the Pennsylvania Integrated Library System (PaILS) since 2013. PaILS is a large and growing consortium with more than 200 library locations, serving 1.6 million patrons, and a collection of almost 2 million titles. Select members of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries (PACSCL) using Koha ILS are also hosted by Equinox. PACSCL is a consortium of special libraries with rare and diverse collections that focus on art, literature, history, science, and more.

“Equinox is a proud partner of libraries in Pennsylvania,” said Felicia Beaudry, Business Development Manager at Equinox. “We appreciate our continued collaboration with PaILS and the SPARK Consortium and we’re excited to share the latest updates to Evergreen ILS. We’re also looking forward to sharing information about Aspen Discovery, a feature-rich discovery platform that can be used to connect patrons to the collections, programs, and services at their libraries.”

The Pennsylvania Library Association Conference is a networking and educational event for librarians across the state of Pennsylvania. This year’s conference theme is “PA Libraries: Powering the Commonwealth,” with a focus on empowering libraries and their communities. Full conference information can be found on the Pennsylvania Library Association website: https://www.palibraries.org/page/2024ConferenceGeneralInfo.

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, 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 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 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/.

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/.

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/.

About CORAL ERM
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. For more information on CORAL: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/coral/.

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. For more information on SubjectsPlus: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/subjectsplus/.

About Fulfillment
Fulfillment is an open source interlibrary loan management system which leverages intuitive design and efficient workflows to maximize value and impact for libraries. Fulfillment provides community members expanded access to library resources across their state and beyond their consortium. For more information on Fulfillment: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/fulfillment/.

Equinox Welcomes Owensville Carnegie Public Library to the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium

Atlanta, Ga., September 16, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to welcome the Owensville Carnegie Public Library to the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium (Evergreen Indiana) with support from the Indiana State Library. As part of the project, Owensville Carnegie Public Library has joined the Evergreen community and will be utilizing Aspen Discovery as their discovery layer. Equinox provided technology and migration consulting services for the project.

“We are thrilled to launch Owensville Carnegie Public Library as the 131st Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium member,” said Courtney Brown, Director of the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium. “The Equinox team made everything run smoothly.”

Evergreen Indiana is a growing consortium of libraries throughout Indiana that are using Evergreen ILS and Aspen Discovery. The Indiana State Library provides funding in addition to technical support, training, and software development of Evergreen ILS on behalf of member libraries.

“I am always glad when I see another library partnering with Evergreen Indiana and the Indiana State Library,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “Evergreen Indiana always pushes for the best for their communities, and their consortial system provides the perfect compliment to open source with resource sharing, mentorship, and support. It was a pleasure to welcome Owensville Carnegie Public Library to Evergreen.”

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 Welcomes Sarcoxie Public Library to Evergreen with the Missouri Evergreen Consortium

Atlanta, Ga., September 9, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to welcome Sarcoxie Public Library to the Evergreen community with the Missouri Evergreen Consortium.

“Migrating over to Evergreen has been a most delightful experience,” said Theresa Hayes, Library Director at Sarcoxie Public Library. “And I mean not only for the Library itself, but for our patrons, who are excited to have such a large collection to select from. With the help of the Missouri Evergreen Consortium and Equinox, we do not feel alone anymore. Help is at our fingertips. I highly recommend Evergreen.”

Sarcoxie Public Library was established in 1960 by the Business and Professional Women’s Club. Since that time, it has resided in several different spaces and has recently reopened in their renovated Red Front location which also includes a coffee shop. The migration of the Sarcoxie Public Library added 1,055 patrons to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium and included 15,327 bibliographic records. Equinox provided implementation and training services during the migration and will continue to provide hosting and technical support.

The Missouri Evergreen Consortium is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which began in 2012. Learn more at: http://moevergreenlibraries.org/

“Sarcoxie Public Library’s enduring service to its community is an inspiration,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “We are excited to welcome them to the Missouri Evergreen Consortium with the resource sharing and support that will strengthen their offerings to the 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/.

Equinox Partners With EveryLibrary to Provide Instructional Design and Educational Resources for Library Advocacy

Atlanta, Ga., August 20, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce its partnership with EveryLibrary to provide instructional design and educational resources for EveryLibrary’s library advocacy program.

“The Equinox team has been an important partner to EveryLibrary as we have reimagined our training and onboarding program for library campaigns,” said John Chrastka, Executive Director at EveryLibrary. “They have helped us think through the project’s aims and goals from a user’s perspective. From thoughtful engagement with the instructional design of our courses to creating a new look and feel that is on-brand but unique to the project, they have delivered again and again for us. We are more effective in our work because of our collaboration with Equinox.”

Equinox’s project with EveryLibrary was completed in two phases. Phase One focused on scoping, graphic design, branding and content analysis. Phase Two, completed in July 2024, included integrating the new design with the curriculum’s learning modules, establishing learning benchmarks, and the development of knowledge checks.

“We are proud to provide Equinox’s educational and branding expertise in support of EveryLibrary’s mission to promote libraries and help to ensure they are thriving for generations to come,” said Jennifer Weston, Product and Education Manager at Equinox. “When library leaders have the skills and resources to effectively advocate, they can secure essential funding, build partnerships, and protect against threats of closure. From one nonprofit that supports libraries to another, this project aligns with our mission to ensure that libraries have the tools and training needed for continued success.”

Equinox Open Library Initiative has provided library staff training, educational resources, and technical expertise for libraries for nearly two decades. Equinox’s educational program expanded in 2021 with the launch of equinoxEDU, which includes webinars, workshops, and a growing resource library. In addition, Equinox provides training for over 150 libraries annually on open source tools, configuration, and best practices. Programs include the integrated library systems Evergreen and Koha, discovery layers Aspen Discovery and VuFind®, and the electronic resources management system, CORAL, along with workshops on accessibility, emerging tools and trends, and other topics. Equinox creates and contributes instructional materials across these open source communities.

“Providing our knowledge and skills to support EveryLibrary was a meaningful experience,” said Allison Matherne, Program Assistant at Equinox. “The instructional design framework will support EveryLibrary’s advocacy efforts 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.

Equinox Welcomes Kenton County Public Library to MessageBee SMS with Unique Management

Atlanta, Ga., July 31, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce that Kenton County Public Library is live on MessageBee SMS services through a partnership with Unique Management.

“Implementing a new and more reliable method of notifying our library users through text messaging is exciting,” said Garry Collum, Systems Administrator at Kenton County Public Library. “We are grateful to both Equinox and Unique Management for supporting this service and making it such a smooth transition.”

Unique Management’s 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/.

“Providing seamless communication with patrons is a need for many libraries,” said Rogan Hamby, Data and Project Manager at Equinox. “Mobile technology has been transformative and we were thrilled to offer a solution, in partnership with Unique Management, that lets libraries communicate conveniently and effectively with their patrons.”

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 Presents at the 2024 Koha-US Annual Conference

Atlanta, GA, July 30, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is excited to announce that Equinox will be presenting at the 2024 Koha-US Annual Conference. Stephanie Leary and Jennifer Weston will present,“Let’s Talk About Koha Accessibility for Library Staff!” on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 2:15pm CT. The 2024 Koha-US Annual Conference will run from August 13, 2024 through August 16, 2024. Full details about the upcoming conference can be found here: https://koha-us.org/events/conferences/conference2024/.

“We are excited to be back with the Koha-US community for the 2024 annual conference,” said Jennifer Weston, Product and Education Manager at Equinox. “Koha-US provides invaluable educational resources and opportunities for collaboration. We are looking forward to contributing to that effort by presenting on applying accessibility best practices to Koha development.”

The presentation will outline critical accessibility considerations for the Koha staff interface and include suggestions for testing new features and evaluating third-party tools. Materials that will be made available at the presentation will include an accessibility checklist and a handout with tips for testing improvements to the Koha staff interface.

“Our session will provide practical advice on addressing Koha accessibility for library staff,” said Stephanie Leary, Front End Developer at Equinox. “With an accessibility mindset, there are changes the Koha community can make today and commitments we can fulfill in the future to improve the experience for everyone utilizing Koha.”

The 2024 Koha-US Annual Conference is an event organized by Koha-US, a membership organization that aims to promote and educate the community utilizing Koha in the United States as it partners with the global Koha community. It is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

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, 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 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/.

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 Announces Q2 Open Source Project Contributions for Evergreen ILS

Atlanta, Ga., June 24, 2024: Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce Q2 open source project contributions to Evergreen ILS. Equinox worked closely with two long standing partners: the Evergreen Community Development Initiative (ECDI) and the King County Library System (KCLS) to design and develop these new features and updates.

With KCLS, Equinox continued to work on accessibility improvements in the Evergreen staff catalog. The latest pieces of this work focused on the circulation interfaces, building on work completed earlier by KCLS developers. In addition, Equinox worked with KCLS and Midwest Tape to add a new form of acquisitions messaging using the X12 standard. This will permit libraries to streamline materials and facilitate ordering from a wider variety of vendors.

Equinox worked with ECDI to update the existing Record Buckets feature. Staff users will now be able to mark buckets as favorites and take advantage of updates to the shared-bucket function. This new update brings the interface into a more modern web framework and includes numerous usability and feature updates.

This quarter’s development work brings Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) to Evergreen’s staff client. This development will support several types of MFA factors and will feature a variety of options for the local Evergreen administrator to configure. Equinox partnered with ECDI to complete this major infrastructural update to Evergreen.

“Adding MFA support is key for modern security practices,” said Andrea Buntz Neiman, Project Manager for Software Development at Equinox. “We’re grateful to the Evergreen Community Development Initiative for their partnership on this project, and to the King County Library System for their continued focus on accessibility.”

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 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/.

About CORAL ERM
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. For more information on CORAL: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/coral/.

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. For more information on SubjectsPlus: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/subjectsplus/.

About Fulfillment
Fulfillment is an open source interlibrary loan management system which leverages intuitive design and efficient workflows to maximize value and impact for libraries. Fulfillment provides community members expanded access to library resources across their state and beyond their consortium. For more information on Fulfillment: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/fulfillment/.

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/.

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 Open Library Initiative

Connect

Contact Us