Found a fantastic slideshow covering the basics of Open Source ILS software via the Proverbial Lone Wolf Librarian:

Direct link to the slides on SlideShare

Library Technology Guides has a couple of interesting data sets that, in a limited way, shows some of the dynamic patterns in the Integrated Library System (ILS) market:

Integrated Library System turnover in 2009 (listed by the ILS migrated to)

Reverse Integrated Library system turnover in 2009 (listed by the ILS migrated from)

It is interesting to note that a great deal of activity involves libraries moving to open source systems, mainly Koha (143) or Evergreen (92).  The top proprietary system is SirsiDynix’s Symphony (84), but over 70 of those installations are from other SirsiDynix products.  After that, the numbers drop to the 40-something range.

Note that these only reflect libraries that have their relevant information listed in Lib-Web-Cats.   If your library isn’t listed, you should submit your information; if listed, you should double-check your information and update if necessary.

found via GuidePosts

The State Library of Ohio has just released a Request For Proposal for an Open Source Statewide Resource Sharing System (Pdf).

Their summary page (which will soon contain an F.A.Q.) states that

The desired product would provide a seamless resource sharing solution, developed and released under an open source framework, in an environment of disparate integrated library systems (ILSs).

Looking briefly through the document, it looks to me as if the closest software in the library world is the Open-ILS Evergreen project, which is the platform for Georgia Library Pines system.  The largest challenge might be the system’s need to communicate with a wide variety of existing ILS platforms.

The timeline is ambitious:  Proposals are due by the end of January; a vendor will be selected and contracts signed by mid-March, a test system will be in place by September, and the system as a whole will go live in February 2010.  Wow.

Assuming that the vendor selection process goes well (Equinox and LibLime, are you ready?), this will be a very exciting time to be involved with Ohio libraries!  I am psyched!

The Koha Integrated Library System (ILS) has just released version 3.0 of their software.  This New Zealand-based open source project is quite mature and provides many libraries cost-effective means to run their operations.

The release notes for this version show that the biggest changes are in the database storage (Zebra) and improvements in standard APIs (such as COinS and OpenSearch).  Additionally, their attention to accessibility, staff templates, and additional modules is commendable.

thanks to Catalogablog for the heads-up