oss4lib

RefDB has changed a lot since the last mention of it here. From the latest release news on fm:

"The PHP Web interface supports live links for keywords, authors, and periodicals which are displayed as "tag clouds". Automatic format detection from local files is done, and has a type-sensitive form for editing data. RefDB implements all SRU operations (explain, searchRetrieve, scan) with MODS output, and conforms to CQL Level 2. Namespaced XML output allows processing of schema-based TEI P5 and DocBook V.5.0 documents. Raw bibliographies were added. Searching for and styling of less-common fields was improved."

The source, perl client, and sru support code are attached.

From the open-ils blog:

"Evergreen 1.2 is the first Evergreen release that has received substantial contributions (patches, documentation, feedback, suggestions, testing, etc.) from folks affiliated with neither the Georgia Public Library Service nor Equinox Software... So as a milestone, 1.2 is really significant because it is truly a community release."

According to the feature list for 1.2.0:

"This release adds functionality, performance, and usability improvements, and simplifies installing and configuring..."

The latest source tarballs of Evergreen-ILS and the related/required OpenSRF toolkit are attached.

Hammer writes: "We're delighted to announce the release of another new product: Simple2ZOOM, a sort of universal Swiss Army gateway that proxies between Z39.50, SRU, SRU/POST and SRW. Although nearly all testing so far has been with Z39.50-to-SRU configurations, it ought to work with pretty much any combination of these protocols on the front- and back-ends. The software essentially combines the qualities of two existing packages, ZOOM and SimpleServer into one universal protocol gateway.

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the National Library of Australia for providing funding that enabled us to add lots of the functionality and bring this product up to a releasable standard."

A copy is attached.

From the story at Linux.com: "The open source movement and libraries have a lot in common, not the least of which is the belief in free and open access to ideas and information. Yet, until recently, libraries have been slow to switch to open source software. Libraries have highly specialized software needs because the library community has developed its own complex standards and protocols to facilitate things like interlibrary loan, meta data sharing, and federated searching. Until recently, lack of commercial support made implementing open source unfeasible for libraries without an IT staff. Also, open source alternatives weren't perceived as scalable or feature-rich enough to handle the complex needs of most libraries. Now, commercial support has facilitated new levels of collaboration between libraries through sponsored development."

ATHENS, OH -November 15, 2006- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries, announced today that the Nelsonville Public Library System in Athens Ohio has just gone live with Koha ZOOM, and they couldn't be more pleased. Koha ZOOM includes a powerful, full-featured search engine based on Zebra, a high-performance indexing and retrieval engine. Koha ZOOM catapults Koha into the big leagues, improving standards-compliance, eliminating scalability limitations, and offering some of the most advanced searching technologies available. For those libraries who have been waiting for an open-source ILS that rivals the expensive proprietary systems, the wait is over. Koha ZOOM is a true enterprise-class ILS, suitable for even the largest of collections.

It is fitting that the Nelsonville Public Library System (NPL) should premiere Koha ZOOM. No stranger to open source, NPL made waves in 2002 by becoming the first public library in the U.S. to adopt an open-source ILS, and the first public library in the world to use the MARC version of Koha. "The Nelsonville Library is very proud to be the first library in the world to put this new version of Koha into production," says NPL webmaster and Koha Interface Designer Owen Leonard. "NPL has been a core contributor to Koha for years now, and we are committed to helping foster the growth and development of this open-source project which can benefit libraries all over the world. With this upgrade comes a system that rivals any in the commercial realm, and NPL is proud to have helped make it possible." Nelsonville's public catalog can be found at: http://search.athenscounty.lib.oh.us

With a web-based interface, great self-service tools, support for important library standards like MARC and Z39.50, and lots of cool extras like enhanced content from Amazon.com, Koha is just what the doctor ordered. It's perfect for libraries looking to upgrade their legacy systems on a tight budget, or simply desiring control over the direction of their software investments. And with commercial support like LibLime, there are no barriers to implementation even for libraries limited (or no) in-house technology staff.

Open-source: the power to collaborate; the freedom to customize

Of course, the true power of open-source is in the ability to customize and to steer the direction of development. The integration of Koha and Zebra is yet another success story demonstrating the power of open-source software collaboration. As with all open-source projects, the value of sponsored development is in quality assurance. Purchasing development services guarantees that adequate time and resources are allocated to creating a production-ready product. No one library has to shoulder all development costs and, unlike proprietary software, all libraries using the product are not forced to foot the bill for development by paying hefty annual licensing fees. Libraries benefit from the developments sponsored or contributed by other libraries. Everyone wins.

"The Nelsonville Library is very grateful to Liblime," says Owen Leonard of NPL. "Without their help this radical advance in Koha development would not have been possible. Their commitment to quality and attention to detail were indispensable at every step in the process. This wasn't just an upgrade to our software, this was an upgrade to the quality of service the Nelsonville Public Library is able to offer to our patrons."

Koha libraries are coordinating their efforts and pooling resources to reach their technology goals. If you're looking to take control of your ILS, there's never been a better time.

About Nelsonville Public Library

The Nelsonville Public Library is a 7-branch library system in Southeast Ohio. NPL provides services to approximately 50,000 borrowers and has over 350,000 items in their collection. In 2002, NPL become the first public library in the U.S. to adopt an open-source ILS, and the first public library in the world to use the MARC version of Koha. Nelsonville has sponsored several functionality improvements to Koha including the initial MARC development and the Z39.50 server. NPL's webmaster Owen Leonard currently serves as Interface Designer for the Koha project.

About Koha

Koha is a full-featured Open Source library management system first deployed in January 2000 at Horowhenua Library Trust. It is currently maintained by a team of software providers and library technology staff from around the globe. Since it was first put into production in early 2000, Koha has enabled new realities of open access, affordability, and free innovation for hundreds of small and medium-sized libraries around the world. Koha has lived up to its name, which means `Gift' in the Maori language of New Zealand. From the outset, many libraries understood the power of this gift. They downloaded it, they installed it, they changed it, and they contributed their solutions back to the library community.

Several companies around the world support Koha, providing libraries with a full array of vendor services including installation, migration assistance, data integrity testing, staff training, software maintenance, support and customization. To learn more about what services are available visit http://koha.org/support/. To try out Koha ZOOM for yourself, visit LibLime's demos:

* http://liblime.com/demos

About LibLime

LibLime offers a refreshing alternative to expensive proprietary software. LibLime's mission is to help libraries upgrade to open source by offering affordable and customizable open-source library technology solutions, such as Koha ILS. LibLime also provides services on these software products including: migration assistance, staff training, and sofware maintenance, support, and development.

Joshua writes with this release:

"ATHENS, OH --September 27, 2006-- LibLime, the leader in open-source solutions for libraries, announced today that three more special library collections have migrated to Koha, the first open-source Integrated Library System. Recent migrations include the Native Village of Afognak Library in Alaska, USA; the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project also in Alaska, USA; and the Childcare Resource and Research Unit, a resource room at the University of Toronto, Canada.

In addition to the commitment and passion they pour into their collections, these libraries have two other things in common: small budgets and large software needs. Koha offers special collection staff and users a feature-rich ILS, a web-based OPAC, and outstanding self-service tools. LibLime gives libraries a refreshing alternative to the proprietary software model, offering turnkey solutions with all the advantages of open source-- including the freedom to customize the look and functionality of their ILS."

For the whole story, and links to the sites involved, see the the whole story at LibLime.

ManaSystems (www.manasystems.co.uk) seeks to provide Open Source tools and utilities for the book and library industry.

ManaSystems is initially offering tools to aid ISBN-10 to ISBN-13 conversion. Please see
ISBN Conversion here

Index Data has released version 1.01 of their SimpleServer toolkit for implementing information retrieval servers in Perl, now with support for SRW/SRU.

The built-in CQL parser makes it possible to write a single set of 'glue' routines for your backend database, and have instant support for both Z39.50, SRW, and SRU. Existing SimpleServer-based servers can implement SRW/SRU simply by upgrading to the latest version of the software and adding configuration to determine the mapping of the CQL query language.

Documentation and code is available from Index Data or CPAN.

Index Data has released a new implementation of the ZOOM abstract API for Perl.

ZOOM-Perl makes it easy to write clients for Z39.50, SRU, and SRW. It supports mapping incoming MARC records to MARCXML in UTF-8 to facilitate conversion and display, for example using some of the XSLT stylesheets made available by the LoC. Under the hood, ZOOM-Perl is based on the YAZ toolkit, and shares the reliability and interoperability of that toolkit.

Dowload and documentation available from CPAN.

CUFTS is an open source (GPL) OpenURL link resolver designed for use by library consortia. CUFTS services include link resolving, journal lists (including integrated print records) and storage of basic ERM data. Developed at the Simon Fraser University Library for the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), the main CUFTS server is currently handling fulltext link resolving for over 30 members and associates.