Top 10: Open-source Library Management Software

2023. Judges grant OPALS the 2023 MLA Platinum Award



OPALS has once again achieved the prestigious Platinum Award, a testament to our unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service and product excellence. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the librarians who have shown us their respect and appreciation. The 2023 Modern Library Awards (MLAs) have released their review scores from participating companies in a special supplement to Library Products & Services News. The MLAs are an impartial program that recognizes outstanding products and services catering to the library industry. Companies submitted concise descriptions of their offerings for review. These were then shared with LibraryWorks readers, comprising librarians from public, academic, K-12, and special libraries, who provided their assessments on a 1-10 scoring system. The judges had hands-on experience with the products or services, and companies needed to provide four library references to qualify for submission. It is important to note that the LibraryWorks staff played no role in determining the scores.


2022. FOLIO 14 brings electronic resource management



The FOLIO Open Source Community has released the new version of its Library Management system FOLIO 14, which brings additional features and functionality to the library services platform (LSP). This release introduces updates to various existing applications and features, including acquisitions, bulk-edit, electronic resource management (ERM), and more. This release aims to enhance the user experience for librarians within the FOLIO platform by introducing improvements such as better user interfaces for cataloging, data import, and circulation through the calendar app. Acquisitions enhancements include the ability to preview fiscal year rollover, generate new invoices from order records, manage GOBI integration through a dedicated user interface, and download/resend EDIFACT order export files using the Export manager app. The ERM features improvements in managing and sharing dashboards, enhanced keyword searching for agreements, advanced search and filtering options for agreement lines, display of alternate titles, and the ability to export package and title details via the eholdings app. Furthermore, bulk-edit capabilities have been expanded to allow bulk editing of user records, FOLIO holdings locations, and item loan types within the platform.

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. Evergreen improves interface and notifications



Open-source library management software Evergreen has released the new versio 3.10. This major feature release introduces several notable enhancements, including further Angularization of the acquisitions interfaces, the addition of support for the EDI DESADV message for advance shipment notices, integration with the Bing Maps API for geographic sorting, improved formatting of outgoing emails as HTML, the capability to use Evergreen as an identity provider for OpenAthens, compatibility with Ubuntu 22.04, the introduction of a new experimental Angular interface for circulation and patron management, and the Angularization of various other staff interfaces.