A new initiative is underway to create open-source software for academic libraries. The project is in collaboration with Index Data and Kauli OLE, and its main goal is to allow libraries to pick and choose what functional software and patron-facing discovery services they need, rather than having to buy a fully bundled package.
Although it’s still in the planning phase, it is hoped that the new system will include the management of library content in any media format that uses any number of cataloging standards from MARC to the various metadata schemas as well as linked data. The initial version of the software is expected to be released sometime in 2018.
In 2015, 626 academic libraries have selected new management software from Ex Libris Alma, and 386 have selected OCLC WorldShare Management Services. It is expected that many more libraries will be looking to move to a more open-source platform, and EBSCO hopes to expand options and create more competition in the library service provider industry.
For more information on this project see this article in the American Libraries Magazine.
Jennifer Crawford
Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.
