Library Technology Guides

Soutron Global acquires MINISIS, a Vancouver-based provider of archive, library and museum management software. Soutron Global, an internationally recognized provider of information management solutions for corporate libraries and digital archives announces the acquisition of MINISIS, a Vancouver-based provider of archive, library and museum management software. This acquisition enhances Soutron's position as a global leader in archive, library and information management solutions while expanding its reach into underserved markets. [Full Announcement].

UKeiG's Jason Farradane Award winner for 2024. The UK electronic information Group announced that the winner of its prestigious international Jason Farradane Award for 2024 is Karen Blakeman. Over decades Karen's consultancy and professional development role has impacted many sectors and subjects, including business, marketing, company and health information. The Jason Farradane Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding, creative and enterprising contribution to the library, information and knowledge profession. [Full Announcement].

The American Library Association receives transformational gift to fund scholarships. James W. Lewis of Washington, DC has made the largest individual bequest to the American Library Association in the association's history. The approximately $25 million bequest is truly transformational and will fund scholarships for aspiring librarians, ensuring future generations of highly educated and committed librarians prepared to meet the informational needs of their communities, according to Leslie Burger, ALA Interim Executive Director.  Mr. Lewis' gift will fund library school scholarships for students with demonstrated financial needs. These scholarships will benefit legions of young people who would otherwise be unable to pursue professional librarianship.  [Full Announcement].

ByWater Solutions' partners sponsor development in Koha 24.11 Release. ByWater Solutions recognizes its partners who sponsored developments in the Koha Community 24.11 release. [Full Announcement].

The Koha Community announces 24.11 Release. The Koha Community, home of the world's first free and open-source library system, announced that the Koha 24.11 release is available. The Koha community was proud to announce the release of Koha 24.11.00 on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. This major release includes 10 new features, 184 enhancements, and 647 bug fixes. The full release notes are available through the Koha Community Webiste. [Full Announcement].

The Student Voice: Enhancing the Higher Education App Experience. In today's digital-first world, crafting a higher education app that students truly love goes beyond good design or offering a range of services. It's about creating an experience tailored to meet the unique and evolving needs of your students. These needs can vary dramatically across institutions, cohorts, and even over time. [Full Announcement].

Hyku for Consortia transitions from pilot phase to full production. The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation and the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana announced the successful transition of Hyku for Consortia from pilot phase to full production, now serving 40 libraries across four prominent partners in the Hyku Commons: PALCI, PALNI, the Boston Library Consortium, and the Virtual Library of Virginia. This milestone marks a significant achievement for the project, as Hyku for Consortia moves beyond initial testing to provide stable, production-level service supported by a robust, community-driven infrastructure. Additionally, collaborators recently received another round of funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to enhance and sustain the Hyku open-source community. [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].

Cindy Hohl to give opening keynote at NISO Plus 2025 in Baltimore. NISO announced that Cindy Hohl will deliver the opening keynote address at the NISO Plus 2025 conference in Baltimore on Tuesday, February 11, at 9:30 am ET. Hohl is director of policy analysis and operational support at the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library and the 2024–2025 president of the American Library Association. She has also served in a number of other leadership roles in the library community. She is past president of the American Indian Library Association and a board member of the ALA-affiliated Freedom to Read Foundation. She also serves on the Standing Committee of the Indigenous Matters Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). [Full Announcement].

Libraries in the United States and the United Kingdom Select Springshare's Patron Point. Springshare announced that Boynton Beach City Library and the Cornwall Library and Information Service have selected the Patron Point platform to support their communication and marketing efforts. [Full Announcement].

Stockholm Public Library and Systematic pioneer the future of library services. In the heart of Stockholm, an invisible revolution is underway at the iconic city library and its 40 branches. A 20-year-old IT system is about to be replaced with a new, innovative library system combining the Danish-developed Library Management system Cicero from Systematic with the Intelligent Material Management System (IMMS) from Danish Lyngsoe Systems. The new joint solution will redefine the library experience for users and staff alike. [Full Announcement].

Surprise Public Library celebrates a year of event management with Vega Program. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that the Surprise Public Library System in Arizona celebrated one year of successful activities and events with the Vega Program library event management tool. Library staff has expressed enthusiasm for the integration of Vega Program alongside other modules of the Innovative library marketing suite, including Vega Discover, and Vega Promote. [Full Announcement].

Systematic wins important contract for new library system in Sweden. The Danish software company takes another big step into the European library market after winning a tender worth SEK 100 million for Stockholm Public Library. With the contract, Systematic takes another big bite of the Scandinavian market. The customer list already includes all Danish public and school libraries, Oslo's main library Deichman Bjørvika and its 22 branches, as well as close to 100 other Norwegian municipalities. [Full Announcement].

PLA seeks responses to 2024 Public Library Staff Survey. The Public Library Association has opened its annual survey and invited all U.S. public libraries to participate. The 2024 Public Library Staff Survey aims to better understand library staff roles and representation, hiring and retention practices, and goals and activities aimed at creating a welcoming environment for staff and community members of all backgrounds and abilities in public libraries nationwide. The survey is open now through Dec. 14, 2024. [Full Announcement].

Danish library system breaks new ground in Germany. After successful implementations in Norway and Sweden, Denmark's Cicero system is set to modernise public libraries across Hamburg, marking Systematic's first foothold in the German library market. Cicero, which forms the digital backbone of Denmark's Joint Library System, continues its expansion across Europe. Following successful implementations in both Norway and Sweden, Germany is now ready to acquire the Danish IT solution. Bücherhallen Hamburg has chosen to replace its 30-year-old library system with Cicero, making Hamburg the first German library customer for Systematic, the company behind the solution. Bücherhallen Hamburg operates all public libraries in the state, and with 32 branches spread across the city, it is one of Germany's largest libraries. [Full Announcement].

Six public libraries recognized as Top Innovators across all of North America by Urban Libraries Council. The Urban Libraries Council, North America's leading nonprofit and membership organization for urban libraries, has named six public libraries as “Top Innovators” for 2024 as part of its annual Innovations Initiative. The Denver Public Library, Gwinnett County Public Library, Miami-Dade Public Library System, San Francisco Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Virginia Beach Public Library receive the “Top Innovator” award for the originality of their work, demonstrative and measurable outcomes, and the potential for other libraries to replicate and implement these most innovative of programs. [Full Announcement].

IGeLU 2024: A week of innovation, collaboration, and connection in Copenhagen. This year, the IGeLU 2024 conference brought together over 600 attendees from around the globe to share knowledge, celebrate achievements, and explore the future of library technology. Held in the stunning city of Copenhagen, the event was a showcase of groundbreaking innovations, insightful sessions, and engaging discussions centered around the theme: Beyond Limits and Differences: Data, Hidden Treasures, and Mermaids. [Full Announcement].

Hampton Public Library (VA) launches MessageBee SMS, Phone, and Email service from Unique Management. Unique Library announced the addition of a full suite of MessageBee patron engagement platform for Hampton Public Library in the Commonwealth of Virginia this week. Patrons will receive 10-DLC compliant SMS notifications, attractive transactional and promotional newsletter-style emails, as well as access to phone notifications. [Full Announcement].

Weber County Library in Utah launches Vega Program. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that the Weber County Library in Utah has launched Vega Program for event and room booking management. Vega Program provides library event information for both patrons and staff in an easy-to-access format and an intuitive interface for viewing events, requesting rooms, and managing reservations. Its many features include the option to provide maps of event locations, the ability to generate flyers and emails for publicity, and a method for processing payments when applicable. Features added for library consortia include the ability for staff to manage calendars throughout the consortium, as well as the option for community members to view library events for their local branch or for the entire consortium. [Full Announcement].

PALNI awarded IMLS grant to develop PEARL open source reading list system. The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana announced that it has received a $149,893 grant to develop an innovative open-source reading list system, Personalized Easily Accessible Reading Lists, or PEARL. The grant is one of 85 awards given by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support libraries and archival services across the country and was made through the National Leadership Grants for Libraries and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. This two-year planning grant will enable PALNI to complete the development of a prototype for this new system, which will influence the way libraries, faculty, and students interact with educational resources. [Full Announcement].