Top 10 Library Management Software

Latest news about Library Management Software

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. Top 4 Software for Church Libraries



Church libraries, often overlooked but quietly crucial, serve as a peaceful refuge where one can expand both faith and knowledge, often without the distraction of misplaced hymnals or half-forgotten bake sales. They offer spiritual resources, educational materials, and—perhaps most importantly—a tranquil spot to contemplate the universe, or at least the more manageable parts of it. But as with all good things, they do come with the rather less spiritual challenge of organization. Luckily, in a world where even your toaster is smarter than it needs to be, managing a church library is a task that can be conveniently offloaded to specialized software. So, in this article, we’ll delve into three fantastically helpful, or at the very least less-baffling-than-paper-cards software solutions to keep your church library ticking over without a hitch. ***


2023. Soutron ILS gets Auto Catalogue Import module



In a delightfully updated turn of events, Soutron Library Management System 4.1.9 has fluttered into existence, dazzling its users with an assortment of enhancements, glittering features, security fortifications, and other bits intended to improve just about everything. Now, whether you’re searching from a desktop the size of a small moon or a pocket device that occasionally pretends to be a phone, the multi-device-friendly Search Portal templates will faithfully keep up with your whims. Librarians and the like will find their bibliographic record importing transported to the new admin application, which now handily includes features like automatic copy creation and an import history for those who prefer not to repeat themselves. Meanwhile, a shiny new Orders Tab has been discreetly positioned within the catalogue edit screen, giving users a nifty peek at current and past orders for any given title. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more accommodating, users can now set the default search results template based on whatever slab of tech they’re using, rendering search results refreshingly clear for desktops, mobiles, or tablets alike. Oh, and for the visually inclined, Google Drive integration now allows image collections to lounge elegantly within Soutron’s records, with the Media Player plug-in in the Search Portal making sure they look splendid.


2023. Judges grant OPALS the 2023 MLA Platinum Award



In the sprawling, improbably delightful cosmos of library software, OPALS has once again snatched the shimmering intergalactic glory of the Platinum Award, a gleaming nod to its heroic dedication to customer service and product brilliance. Librarians—those wise guardians of knowledge and Dewey Decimal chaos—have showered us with their cosmic admiration, and we are profoundly, if a little smugly, thankful. The 2023 Modern Library Awards (MLAs), a dazzlingly impartial program powered by the collective wisdom of LibraryWorks readers, have published their much-anticipated scores in a supplementary scroll of Library Products & Services News. Companies bravely offered their wares for review, summarized in neat little descriptions, which librarians—be they from public, academic, K-12, or special realms—rated on a scale of 1 to 10 after experiencing these wonders firsthand. Four library references were a prerequisite for entry, and, in true improbability-field fashion, the LibraryWorks staff kept their hands firmly off the scoring controls.


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. FOLIO 14 brings electronic resource management



In the ineffable style of Douglas Adams: The FOLIO Open Source Community, in its infinite wisdom (or perhaps mild exasperation with librarians’ daily woes), has unleashed upon the world a grand new iteration of its Library Management system, namely FOLIO 14. Now, this marvel of digital engineering and library science comes packed with such an alarming array of features that it might just render librarians speechless or at least induce them to make appreciative noises. This latest release wends its way through various applications with updates to acquisitions, bulk-edit, and electronic resource management (ERM) — the usual parade of things that look mind-bogglingly complex but, on closer inspection, seem oddly necessary. FOLIO 14 bestows librarians with smoother cataloging, niftier data import and export, and circulation enhancements through a mystifyingly helpful calendar app. In the realm of acquisitions, it now permits the fiscally adventurous to preview rollovers, generate invoices at the flick of a metaphorical switch, and manage the labyrinthine GOBI integration through a rather snazzy interface. ERM enhancements extend to keyword searching that is actually useful, more powerful agreement filtering, and exporting prowess that even allows the sharing of package details through the eholdings app. Bulk-editing has taken a significant leap, too, as one may now alter user records, FOLIO holdings, and item loan types en masse — a feat best appreciated by those with many, many records to wrangle. All in all, it’s the kind of update that might just make librarians crack a smile... if they're not too busy marveling at the sheer improbability of it all.


2022. Follett School Solutions to acquire ILS software Accessit



In a move that could only be described as the sort of thing a particularly ambitious hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional entity might dream up over tea, Follett School Solutions, the unflappable titan of K-12 educational technology, has rather delightfully declared its acquisition of Access-It Software Ltd (Accessit), a plucky yet undeniably distinguished global provider of library management systems that’s been charming over 4,000 institutions across a baffling 45 countries. The union, a positively galactic convergence of Follett Destiny Library Manager—North America’s indisputable librarian darling—and Accessit Library, the international virtuoso of the field, heralds a new era of library automation where books and bytes shall cavort harmoniously. Together, these two titans will offer school libraries a dazzlingly comprehensive toolkit, replete with futuristic features capable of tackling the many, many complications of modern education, leaving librarians worldwide wondering, "Why didn’t someone do this sooner?”


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.


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.


2022. Libero to offer libraries more security



In the ineffably vast and bewildering universe of library management systems, Libero has introduced a dazzling array of updates so practical, even a Vogon bureaucrat might consider them handy. Among these enhancements are rather clever bits like optional default passwords—wherein librarians can set a member’s surname or phone number as the initial access point, sparing members the agony of a mysterious first-time login. And if that's not enough to feel positively splendid, they've also implemented improved security measures, like nudging members with politely insistent emails reminding them of renewal details all bundled in one place (far easier than searching the length and breadth of the Milky Way for such trivialities). There's even the endearing ability to store and respect preferred names for members, all while preserving the gravitas of official records. Best of all, password change requirements on the first WebOPAC login ensure a boost in security without a hint of Vogon poetry, so users can safely roam the electronic stacks, enjoying an experience that's a tad more inclusive, a smidgen more secure, and possibly a lot more delightful.


2021. Evergreen adds acquisitions administration, holdings maintenance



The release of Evergreen 3.8 is announced by The Evergreen Community. Evergreen is a highly-scalable software designed for libraries to facilitate the discovery of library materials by patrons and assist in managing, cataloging and circulating those materials, regardless of the library's size or complexity. This release brings numerous new features and enhancements, such as Angular rewrites of several staff interfaces including acquisitions administration, holdings maintenance, item attributes editor, patron triggered events log and item triggered events log. Additionally, it introduces a case-insensitive option for browsing headings, a new interface for editing notes attached to bibliographic records, improvements to the staff interface for browsing bib records attached to a heading and consolidation of patron notes, messages, alert messages and standing penalties into a unified notes interface. Other additions include settings for determining item value based on item price and acquisition cost, enhancements to override event dialogs in checkout and renewal interfaces, the ability to edit the patron photo URL during registration, settings for hold stalling based on pickup library, settings for default pickup location for staff-placed hold requests, utilization of a newer Stripe API for credit payments in the public catalog, display of cover images in My Account pages for items checked out, check out history, holds and holds history and new reporting views such as item statistics and Dewey call number blocks and ranges.0352


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



LibLime has purchased the Koha division of Katipo Communications Ltd - the original creators of Koha. Assets involved in the purchase included existing support agreements with libraries that had contracted with Katipo, copyrights on the original Koha source code and the koha.org domain and Website. LibLime has been offering commercial support for Koha since early 2005. The acquisition will greatly enhance LibLime's in-house development and support capacity, allowing the company to manage a growing demand for open-source automation solutions in the library sector. The acquisition also underscores one of the distinctive aspects of an open-source business and development model: Katipo's Koha customers don’t need to be concerned about transitioning to a new ILS.