Bibliovation vs Koha

2023. Koha enhanced the Acquisitions module



In the vast, often bewildering universe of free library management software, the intrepid Koha has boldly updated its Acquisitions module—a mechanism so clever it could almost order a sandwich while balancing the library’s budget. The latest incarnation of this marvel offers a reimagined order receive page, now equipped with the startling ability to select and process multiple orders at once, thereby saving librarians from the Sisyphean task of endless reloading and re-searching. A delightfully named 'Confirm' button awaits, eager to usher all selected orders into existence with a single, decisive click. But wait, there’s more! This enhancement lays the groundwork for such wizardry as default actions for bulk orders, while also sprinkling in extra fields for order lines—fields so accommodating they allow for user-defined input, free text, or selections from an authorized smorgasbord of values. And because the universe wouldn't be complete without a nod to the arcane, it’s now possible to siphon data directly from MARC records or perform a bit of on-the-spot record editing wizardry.


2023. Bibliovation 7.2 gets online payment options



LibLime introduces the latest version of its ILS software Bibliovation 7.2. It is entirely web-based, granting researchers, library staff and system administrators access through web browsers. By leveraging the FedRAMP authorized IaaS and PaaS certification from Amazon AWS Cloud, along with a special security authorization from the US Department of Defense's cybersecurity experts for SaaS, Bibliovation provides libraries with a highly secure and cost-effective hosting solution. It supports various standards such as MARC21, Dublin Core, RDA and geotagging, enabling libraries to manage both physical and digital content on a single Rest API-based platform. The Bibliovation circulation subsystem is purpose-built to facilitate shared union catalog solutions, granting individual consortium members significant autonomy, including ownership of local bibliographic records, item records and patron records. Bibliovation MARC cataloging allows for local control over cataloging rules that can complement or surpass AACR2 and RDA rulesets. The acquisitions subsystem in Bibliovation is EDI-compliant, featuring a multi-tiered fund hierarchy and supporting the import of csv data converted into the MARC21 format for streamlined acquisition workflows. Additionally, Bibliovation now includes online payment options and comprehensive NCIP support. With hosted production, reporting and test systems, libraries have the necessary capabilities and control to effectively support their daily operations.


2022. Koha adds Electronic resource management



The new version of open-source library management software Koha has added Electronic resource management (ERM) module. This new module adds a mechanism to track the selection, acquisition, licensing, access, maintenance, usage, evaluation, retention and de-selection of a library’s electronic information resources. These resources include, but are not limited to, electronic journals, electronic books, streaming media, databases, datasets, CD-ROMs and computer software. Also the new version adds option to require 2FA setup on first staff login, allows storing item values as a template for creating new items, adds ability to create bundles of items for circulation, adds the ability to create ‘saved searches’ for use as filters when searching the catalog.


2022. Koha enables two-factor authentication



The latest incarnation of the ILS system, Koha 22.05, saunters onto the stage with an optional dabble in two-factor authentication (2FA)—because, let’s face it, passwords alone are about as secure as hiding your library key under the doormat. This avant-garde security flourish involves time-based, one-time passwords (TOTP), which sound impressive and, to be fair, rather are. Librarians are invited to partake in the ritual by downloading an authenticator app—Google Authenticator, andOTP, or any suitably clever app that won’t lose your codes in a cosmic accident. With a quick detour to More > Manage Two-Factor Authentication, you can unlock the mysteries of 2FA by: 1) Pointing your phone at a QR code with all the earnest intent of someone trying to capture a rare Pokémon, and 2) typing in the cryptic one-time code that materializes. Thereafter, each login becomes an adventure as the system politely demands the magic authenticator code in addition to your usual credentials. Pro tip: Opt for apps with backup features—because when the universe sneezes, you’ll want your 2FA accounts firmly tethered in the cloud or somewhere equally non-ephemeral.


2021. Federal Government Library selects Bibliovation



In a galaxy not so far away, a federal government library nestled in the quaint wilderness of Massachusetts has made the cosmic leap to adopt Bibliovation as its shiny new Library Services Platform (LSP). The implementation mission has been set in motion with the singular aim of achieving full Bibliovation hyperspace functionality by October’s end. Equipped with precisely the sort of techno-wizardry necessary to align with the library's delightfully intricate workflows, Bibliovation also comes with a LibLime-proposed price tag that won’t leave anyone gasping for fiscal oxygen. The LibLime crew, a team of implementation virtuosos, will work hand-in-hand with library staff to ensure that the October go-live date doesn’t slip into an alternative dimension. Being entirely web-based, this LSP marvel allows researchers, staff, and system overlords to glide seamlessly through its interface via standard-issue web browsers. And thanks to the FedRAMP-certified infrastructure of the Amazon AWS Cloud, it delivers the kind of secure and economical hosting solution that would make even the most paranoid Vogon relax.


2021. Koha improves Accounting and Transfers moduls



In a stunningly sensible move, Koha has unleashed a major update, cleverly designed for those small business and public libraries still valiantly clinging to reality. The wizards behind this release have delved into the shadowy depths of accounting code, bravely refactoring everything from the ‘Point of Sale’ to ‘Cash Management’ features—essentially aiming to make all that counting of cash feel just a touch more civilized. Users will now find themselves navigating a revamped interface, with easier access to “cash-up” rituals and all those delightful auditing checks (for when the numbers simply refuse to agree). To make matters even more thrilling, they’ve added a rigorous double-entry system so that income and debts are forever linked in a cosmic dance of balance. And if that weren’t enough, the transfers system has been prodded into a neater, tidier state, enabling future enhancements that might one day feel almost…logical. Transfers can now be queued with a mysterious new priority system, as if library transactions were somehow on a spacefaring schedule. And with a fresh audit trail for debugging, they’ve finally put to rest a string of long-standing bugs, proving that even in accounting, there’s always room for a little bit of cosmic harmony.


2014. Bibliovation adds new Discovery Layer



LibLime has flung open the digital curtains to unveil the cosmic marvel that is Bibliovation 5.6, a release orbiting the freshly minted Discovery Layer. Built upon the gloriously arcane foundations of a RESTful API, this innovation doesn’t just stop at "useful"—it boldly strides into the realms of extraordinary local tinkering and effortless alliances with third-party galactic titans of academia. Highlights in this latest upgrade include the elegant art of merging authority records (because chaos in cataloging is so last epoch), a cunningly versatile OPAC editor, and mobile device support for the librarian on the go. As with its noble predecessors, the entire Bibliovation enterprise hums contentedly within the Plack environment, making everything run smoother than a Vogon bureaucrat's forms. And let’s not forget the Solr search engine—a dazzling open-source behemoth derived from Apache Lucene, capable of scaling up faster than a panicked whale falling from the sky, supporting the sprawling search needs of academic and internet empires alike.


2007. LibLime acquires library management software Koha



In the vast and improbably complex universe of library systems, LibLime, with the kind of calculated decisiveness normally reserved for hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings, has deftly acquired the Koha division of Katipo Communications Ltd—the very geniuses who first concocted Koha in the primordial soup of library automation. Among the gleaming treasures of this interstellar transaction are Katipo’s library support contracts, the sacred copyrights to the original Koha source code (much revered by open-source acolytes), and the coveted koha.org domain and Website—presumably kept in a well-padded crate labeled "DO NOT PANIC." LibLime, having gallantly championed commercial support for Koha since the ancient days of 2005, is now poised to amplify its developmental and support superpowers, ready to tackle the cosmic boom in demand for open-source wizardry in the library sector. And, in a twist that would make any Vogon jealous, this acquisition embodies the curious brilliance of open-source: Katipo’s Koha patrons can relax, safe in the knowledge that switching to a new ILS is as unnecessary as a towel on a sunny day in Margate.