Library Technology Guides

Royal Veterinary College chooses Koha open source library management system, hosted and supported by PTFS Europe.. Royal Veterinary College has chosen Koha as its new library management system, to replace the previous SirsiDynix Symphony system. The college has also implemented Aspen Discovery as the library portal to their resources. PTFS Europe has implemented the new systems and will provide ongoing hosting and support services to the college to ensure its success in supporting these collections into the future. [Full Announcement].

Alma continues to deliver, flourish and grow. As 2024 winds down, Alma celebrates yet another year of success. To accomplish this feat, Ex Libris, part of Clarivate, continues to work in close collaboration with its customer community to ensure that Alma remains the most effective library services platform and helps libraries achieve greater efficiency. [Full Announcement].

Northern Onondaga Public Library chooses Springshare's Patron Point. Springshare announced today that Northern Onondaga Public Library has selected the Patron Point platform to enhance their communication and outreach protocols. [Full Announcement].

New SMS and voice alerts available for Polaris Library Patrons. Innovative, part of Clarivate, recently launched new SMS and telephony notifications for Polaris library patrons through Innovative Phone Alerts. [Full Announcement].

The best new Vega Program features from 2024. As 2024 draws to a close Innovative shares the impactful features, improvements, and bug fixes that have enhanced library's event management experience. With regular Vega releases, the company has focused on improving workflows and usability – read on to discover how these changes elevate your library's event management solution. [Full Announcement].

ByWater Solutions promotes Catrina Berka to Lead Educator and Enica Davis to Lead Data Migration Specialist. ByWater Solutions, America's forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced the promotion of Catrina Berka to Lead Educator and Enica Davis to Lead Data Migration Specialist. [Full Announcement].

Auburn University adopts Lean Library to enhance library discovery. Auburn University Libraries has partnered with Technology from Sage to implement Lean Library at their institution to enhance library discovery and streamline access to information resources. This adoption aligns with their commitment to providing exceptional student-centered experiences, supporting impactful research and creative scholarship by faculty, and fostering a culture of excellence and innovation in support of Auburn University's Strategic Plan 2035: Grounded & Groundbreaking. [Full Announcement].

ByWater Solutions welcomes Heather Harmon. ByWater Solutions, an open-source community contributor and America's forefront provider of Open-Source library technology support announced that Heather Harmon has joined the ByWater Solutions team as a Project Coordinator. [Full Announcement].

The DPC welcomes The University of Queensland Library as its newest member. The University of Queensland Library has joined the Digital Preservation Coalition this month, becoming the Coalition's newest Associate Member. As the largest university library in Queensland, Australia, UQ Library holds significant special collections. [Full Announcement].

Texas State University Libraries go live with FOLIO using EBSCO FOLIO support. The Texas State University Libraries have successfully transitioned to the FOLIO library services platform with support from EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). This migration — completed alongside the adoption of EBSCO's other SaaS offerings — was finalized in Fall 2024, replacing the university's previous library management system and discovery infrastructure. [Full Announcement].

ByWater Solutions announces December 2024 Community Giveback winner. Each month, ByWater Solutions selects one library to be awarded $500. These funds are meant to support libraries and their communities and fill gaps in funding to further library goals. The December 2024 winner of the ByWater Community Giveback is the Rochester Public Library District library in Rochester, Illinois. [Full Announcement].

bird further simplifies scholarly publisher evaluation. Paratext announced a substantive enhancement to bird: Base Inventory of Research Databases. The new Browse Publisher function is more than new feature; it is a unique portal to the entire realm of scholarly publishing. bird, launched in February 2024, is a comprehensive catalogue/index to 8,100+ research databases, spanning 177 academic departments, 34 formats from 2,000 publishers. [Full Announcement].

University of Tulsa selects TIND Digital Archive. The University of Tulsa (TU) has selected TIND Digital Archive (TIND DA) as its new digital collections platform to preserve and provide access to its extensive archival and research collections. With its modern and intuitive user interface and advanced metadata tools, TIND DA will help TU make its materials more accessible to researchers, students, and the public. [Full Announcement].

Sage acquires the scientific and medical publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. Sage, a leading independent academic publisher, has acquired Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., a renowned global media company publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed journals in biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, public health and policy, and technology and engineering, as well as the leading B2B media brands Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) and Inside Precision Medicine. [Full Announcement].

Harvest University joins CLiC and is live on Koha with ByWater Solutions support. ByWater Solutions, America's forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced that the Harvest University in Colorado has joined CLiC with Koha support from ByWater Solutions, migrating of over 34,000 bibliographic records. [Full Announcement].

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Taylor Swift and Harry Potter among the most borrowed titles on hoopla Digital This Year. hoopla Digital, the only all-in-one digital media app for public libraries and their patrons, today revealed the top digital media titles borrowed by library patrons in 2024. Based on circulation figures from library patrons across more than 10,000 U.S. public libraries, the data shows what digital library content was most popular across a variety of categories – including eBooks, audiobooks, BingePasses, movies, TV shows, music, comics and manga. [Full Announcement].

ByWater Solutions celebrates Katrin Fischer, Koha's first female release manager. At kohacon24, Jessie Zario, ByWater Solutions Director of Library Sales and Outreach, had the chance to talk with Katrin Fischer, System librarian and IT Coordinator at Bibliotheksservice-Zentrum Baden-Württemberg, about her thoughts on being Koha's first female release manager and what the Koha community means to her. Katrin has been the release manager for 24.05, 24.11 and now 25.05. [Full Announcement].

Five ways magazine archives enhance academic research. EBSCO and Library Journal recently conducted a focus group with academic librarians in the U.S. to discuss the value of magazine archives in college libraries. The focus group findings provide evidence that magazine archives play a valuable role in enhancing academic research. Here are some of the ways magazine archives can be beneficial. [Full Announcement].

Unlocking academic excellence: top six ways library databases empower high school students. As educational trends evolve and expectations rise, high school students are under growing pressure to excel academically, whether they are in general education courses or enrolled in more rigorous programs such as Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB). Library databases play a crucial role in supporting every student's academic journey by providing access to high-quality resources, developing essential research skills, advancing information literacy and more. [Full Announcement].

Equinox designs children's theme for Aspen Discovery for Central Skagit Library District. Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the release of a children's theme for Aspen Discovery designed for the Central Skagit Library District, a member of the Skagit Evergreen Libraries. [Full Announcement].