Atlanta, GA -- October 9, 2023. Equinox Open Library Initiative, a trusted leader in open source technology development and support for libraries, is pleased to announce the migration of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) to Koha ILS as part of their membership with the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries.
Founded in 1827, PHS's mission is to support the health and well being of the greater Philadelphia region through horticulture. Their migration to Koha included 20,366 bibliographic records and supported 35,464 patrons. Equinox provided implementation, hosting, support, and training services as part of the migration process.
"We are pleased that the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's McLean library is transitioning to Koha with support from Equinox," said Janet Evans, Associate Director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. "Our library users will have an easy way to search for, request, and borrow books, both print and digital, from our library. Koha makes it easier for researchers to find what they are looking for and to contact us to book an appointment to use our special collection of rare books, historic seed and nursery catalogs, and other material from our archives."
The Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries was established in 1985 to enhance the visibility and support of member institutions. In the thirty plus years since its inception, it has doubled in size and continues to support area libraries through its working groups, project support, and setting of best practices.
"Open Source is all about community collaboration and that's just one of the many reasons PHS is a perfect fit for Koha," said Erica Rohlfs, Senior Implementation Project Manager at Equinox. "Koha provides an advantage to special libraries, and we are excited to further the missions of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries as they join the Koha community."
About Equinox Open Library Initiative
Equinox Open Library Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is the successor to Equinox Software, Inc. Equinox's mission as a nonprofit is to promote and support a thriving ecosystem for open source library communities in order to provide libraries worldwide with innovative, affordable, and sustainable open source solutions. We are devoted to reducing barriers to library technology and services, expanding library access to open source software, and providing high quality technology, consulting, and support services.To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org.
About Koha ILS
Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha Integrated Library System is the first open source Integrated Library System to be used worldwide. The software is a full-featured ILS with a dual-database design (search engine and RDBMS) built to be compliant with library standards. Koha's OPAC, staff, and self-checkout interfaces are all web applications. Distributed under the General Public License (GPL), libraries are free to use and install Koha themselves or to purchase support and development services. For more information on Koha, please visit https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/koha/.