Library Technology Guides

The Kolovai Library: a real treasure to Tonga. Learn how the first public library in Tonga has grown in the last five years using Koha library management system. Before 2019, Tonga never had a public library. Libraries were a new concept before the Kolovai Library opened. Lil Green, the current volunteer librarian, shares that “The Kolovai Library is a real treasure here on the island. There are many strings to the bow that make this unique resource sing.” And, in the last four months alone, there's been a 115% increase in library patrons. [Full Announcement].

KohaCon24: The power of collaboration in the GLAMR sector. Ideas flourish when shared. When communities collaborate toward a common goal, bringing with them their resources, experience, and passion, the GLAMR sector can thrive. The global Koha community aims for the Koha library management system to solve problems and present opportunities for many kinds of organisations and their collections. The project's open source nature enables unique innovation and collaboration, is amplified at the regular gatherings, including KohaCon. KohaCon is an annual conference for users and contributors of Koha from all around the world. [Full Announcement].

A year after the launch of Ia: the world's first Rainbow research portal. Ia, the world's first Rainbow portal launched in September 2023, and a year on, we share the collaborative nature of the project between Rōpū kohinga and Auckland University of Technology. [Full Announcement].

A future-proof solution for your library's collection. Discover how a values-based approach to caring for a collection sets your library up for long-term success. Partnering with a service provider who shares your values is key to future-proofing your collection whether it's physical, digital, or being digitised. Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst are a values-based team who care for collections with open source technology. They match technology solutions to the needs of your collection and your team, specialising in Koha, DSpace, VuFind, and Islandora. [Full Announcement].

The real value of GLAMR events. Libraries play many important roles in a community. They house ideas, enable creativity and connect us to history and generational knowledge. Libraries support education and encourage critical thinking. In some cases, libraries are also the vital ‘third space'(external link) that provides a place of connection for people from all walks of life. The following blog post has been written by Aleisha Amohia, Rōpū kohinga Technical Lead, reflecting on her recent trip to the VALA conference and why Rōpū kohinga are proud to be working within the world of galleries, libraries, archives, museums, and records. [Full Announcement].

Auckland University of Technology and Catalyst celebrate the Koha Project go-live. The Catalyst Koha team is excited to announce that Auckland University of Technology has officially gone live with the Koha Library Management System. AUT is the first university from New Zealand or Australia to implement Koha. [Full Announcement].

Auckland University of Technology choose Koha Library System. Catalyst is delighted to announce that Auckland University of Technology will soon become the first University in New Zealand and Australia to implement Koha Library Management System. [Full Announcement].

Auckland University of Technology choose Koha Library System. Catalyst announced that Auckland University of Technology will soon become the first University in New Zealand and Australia to implement Koha Library Management System. [Full Announcement].

Mental Health Education & Resource Library now offers online self-registration. Like many libraries across New Zealand, the Mental Health Education & Resource Centre Library (MHERC) adapted its services in response to COVID-19 related events. For Sheree Menzies, IT/Resources at MHERC, this meant allowing new borrowers to sign-up online for the first time ever. [Full Announcement].

Koha expands in Australasia. Catalyst has purchased Calyx Information Essentials and, from 1 March 2020, Catalyst will be providing Hosting and Support for their Australian clients using the Koha Library Management System. [Full Announcement].

New Library System for Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. Toi Ohomai library is now live with the Koha library system, supported by Catalyst IT. Students and staff who search for library resources now have a single library catalogue that replaces the two separate systems that previously operated from the Tauranga and Rotorua campuses. Liberty was used at the Mokoia campus for 20 years, and Voyager at Tauranga campuses for 14 years. [Full Announcement].

NZ's newest Koha public library: Whanganui District Libraries. Whanganui Library was the first public library of New Zealand to quietly leave the Kōtui consortium in 2017. In March they put out an RFP for a new Library Management System, to which we responded proposing Koha. We worked together seamlessly for two months solid, and with the timely delivery of data overnight from Sirsi Dynix in the USA, Koha went live without a hitch in June. [Full Announcement].

Koha plus FOLIO: a solution for connected library services. Catalyst and Bywater Solutions are both vendors for Koha library management system. We have worked together in the Koha community for 8 years. Both companies support a number of academic libraries (universities, polytechnics, TAFEs, colleges) and are investigating how FOLIO can be of benefit to our customers, with an initial focus on academic libraries.This paper will explain how Koha and FOLIO can work together to benefit libraries. It will also set out specifications for some ways Koha could connect to FOLIO, and therefore enhance library services. [Full Announcement].

Te Horowhenua Trust wins Koha case. Te Horowhenua Trust and Catalyst IT challenged a ruling in New Zealand by the Ministry of Economic Development in 2011 that American company Liblime PTFS which had acquired the Koha division of Katipo and was also a contributor to the software, could trademark Koha. In a 24-page judgment assistant commissioner of Trade Marks Jennie Walden found that Liblime’s product and the trust’s software were largely the same, except that the trust’s was free. Ms Walden also awarded of $3820 to the Trust and $3550 to Catalyst IT. [Full Announcement].

Catalyst announces the release of the NIWA Koha catalogue. Catalyst announced the release of the NIWA Koha catalogue. NIWA, the NZ National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, and Catalyst, have been working together over the past four months to migrate the NIWA library data from SirsiDynix Symphony, and to implement and configure the open source library management system Koha to NIWA's requirements. [Full Announcement].

Waimate District Libraries goes live with Koha. Waimate District Libraries joined more than twenty other New Zealand libraries this week when they went live with Koha, the Open Source Library Management System originally developed in New Zealand. [Full Announcement].