Library Technology Guides

The BitCurator Consortium joins The Open Library Foundation. The Open Library Foundation welcomes the BitCurator Consortium, a global leader in born-digital curation, as its newest member project. This partnership advances sustainable and innovative practices in digital preservation while enabling the BCC to benefit from OLF's support and infrastructure as it expands its impact on digital curation. Founded in 2014 with support from the Educopia Institute, the BitCurator Consortium was created to address the growing need for tools, training, and collaboration in digital curation. After a decade of successful operations under Educopia's leadership, BCC announced its intent to identify a new fiscal sponsor. With its focus on collaboration, research, and open-source software development, the BCC's transition to the Open Library Foundation provides critical operational support and enhanced opportunities for growth. This partnership reflects both organizations' shared values and missions in driving innovation and sustainability within the cultural heritage sector. [Full Announcement].

The Open Library Foundation welcomes Project ReShare as an affiliate member. The Open Library Foundation welcomed Project ReShare to its growing list of open-source member projects. Project ReShare brings a collaborative community of open information advocates and expertise in resource sharing that strengthens the open-source library ecosystem. Project ReShare provides an innovative, community-owned resource-sharing platform that sets the stage for the future of library resource-sharing built upon principles of trust, openness, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability, and with active participation from implementers and partners, including PALCI, CAVAL, Minitex, Boston Library Consortium, Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation, Index Data, and others. With ReShare Digital, Project ReShare aims to revolutionize e-book lending and other forms of digital resource-sharing, ensuring wider access to digital materials for communities everywhere. [Full Announcement].

The Open Resource Sharing Coalition (OpenRS) welcomes MOBIUS as its first consortial member implementer. The Open Resource Sharing Coalition, a collaborative resource sharing initiative of the Open Library Foundation, welcomes its first implementer, MOBIUS. MOBIUS is using EBSCO Information Services as its OpenRS service provider, providing the consortium with implementation, hosting, training and support services. As a founding member of the OpenRS coalition, MOBIUS has been instrumental in developing the new open-source resource sharing platform. Since the project's inception in August 2023, MOBIUS and the OpenRS Founding Council, a diverse group of consortia, libraries, and vendors, have been working closely to build a consortial resource-sharing solution. This collaborative effort was born out of the recognition that there is currently no solution in the market that fully addresses direct, unmediated resource sharing for consortia, especially those made up of different types of libraries (including public and academic) or that use different integrated library systems. [Full Announcement].

The Open Library Foundation announces WOLFcon 2024. Open Library Foundation announced that WOLFCon 2024 will take place September 24-26, 2024, at Senate House, University of London. OLF welcomes all library professionals curious about open-source initiatives to join this collaborative event. WOLFcon brings together members from OLF's project communities and product users from around the world to foster collaborative discussions, presentations, workshops and working meetings. This annual event catalyzes conversations centering on advancements in open-source technology and the evolution of library workflows and patron needs. WOLFcon captures OLF's steadfast dedication to creating positive change and nurturing a vibrant community committed to open-source technologies. [Full Announcement].

Introducing The Open Resource Sharing Coalition. The Open Library Foundation introduced the Open Resource Sharing Coalition, a resource sharing initiative created in partnership with library consortia, open source developers, and vendors. OpenRS is a heterogeneous resource sharing system that is ILS and Discovery agnostic and accommodates the full spectrum of mediated and unmediated resource sharing. OpenRS acts upon a “consortia first” mentality, striving to provide libraries with the tools needed for robust and extended functionality for resource sharing. The software will provide a containerized code base configured for ease of deployment, maintenance, and upgrades. Libraries and consortia can choose to host the service locally or with a third party. The OpenRS software is built and maintained by Knowledge Integration, with support from EBSCO Information Services. Additional OpenRS Community members include representatives from the MOBIUS consortium, GALILEO/University System of Georgia, Marmot Library Network, Boston Library Consortium, Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries, and others. [Full Announcement].

VuFind Joins the Open Library Foundation. VuFind has joined the Open Library Foundation. The open source library discovery tool was developed at Villanova University and is maintained by an international development community that has been coordinated by staff at the University's Falvey Memorial Library since 2007. VuFind is joining the foundation in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of VuFind, which is used by hundreds of libraries around the world. [Full Announcement].

The Open Library Foundation Names First Open Source Project to its Project Incubation Program. The Open Library Foundation has invited the Library Data Platform (LDP) to be the first open source project to participate in its Project Incubation Program. The program is designed to support early-stage open source projects and communities that are developing the balanced and robust mix of technology, governance, resourcing and community engagement required to be self-sustaining. [Full Announcement].

The Advanced Research Consortium joins the Open Library Foundation as project member. The Advanced Research Consortium (ARC) has joined the Open Library Foundation as a Project Member. By joining the Open Library Foundation, ARC is able to leverage the community of projects that are part of the Open Library Foundation. [Full Announcement].

The Open Library Foundation adds three board members. The Open Library Foundation has named three new members to its Board. The Foundation Leadership represents institutions, library vendors and services providers from around the globe. The new Board Members are Agnese Galeffi, from the Library System of Sapienza University in Rome, Italy; Nancy Kirkpatrick, the Executive Director and CEO of OhioNet; and Liu (Keven) Wei, the Deputy Director of Shanghai Library and Institute of Scientific and Technological Information of Shanghai. [Full Announcement].

Elizabeth German joins The Open Library Foundation as Senior Program Officer. he Open Library Foundation has named Elizabeth German to the role of Senior Program Officer. German is an associate professor and the service design librarian at Texas A&M University and will work with the Foundation's Board to support Foundation operations and strategic initiatives. [Full Announcement].

The Open Library Foundation names new Board President and two new board members. The Open Library Foundation, which enables the development, accessibility and sustainability of open source projects for and by libraries, is making changes to its Board. Tom Cramer, the Associate University Librarian and Director of Digital Library Systems and Services at Stanford University will replace David Carlson as Board President. Carlson, Dean of Libraries at Texas A&M University, will maintain his seat on the Board. The Board is also welcoming Chris Keene and Paula Sullenger. [Full Announcement].

FOLIO Platform Begins 2018 with a strong list of accomplishments and plans for rapid expansion over the next twelve months. FOLIO begins 2018 reaching a variety of notable development milestones. The open source project is dedicated to providing libraries of all sizes with choice when selecting a library services platform (LSP) or building library services beyond traditional functionality to expand their reach with their institution. Development milestones and the expansion of the FOLIO Community point to the project reaching a critical mass in 2018. [Full Announcement].

Open Library Foundation established foundation created to promote open source projects for libraries. The Open Library Foundation has been established to promote open source projects for libraries and to foster and support contribution, distribution, and sustainability of the benefits of these projects. The foundation provides the infrastructure for librarians, developers, designers, service providers, and vendors to collaborate with innovative open source technologies and develop transformative solutions for libraries. [Full Announcement].