"LibLime's mission is to make open-source software accessible to libraries," said Joshua Ferraro, LibLime's President, Technology. "Our initial product offerings include the core area of technology in libraries: the Integrated Library System(ILS). The open-source solution we've selected is Koha."

Use of open-source not only lowers the per-library cost of running ILS and supporting software, it also empowers libraries with a higher level of control over customization and the overall direction of software development.

Koha was the first open-source ILS. Developed initially in New Zealand, and first deployed in January of 2000, it is currently maintained by a team of volunteers from around the globe. Koha includes a full catalog, opac, circulation and acquisitions system. With the 2.2 version, Koha is a mature product. It's used in more than 50 libraries including academic, public, school, and religious, and has demonstrated good scalability (from 1 to 8 branches, and from 1,000 to 300,000 items).

"Our Koha demos couple version 2.2.2's stable code base with a fresh template re-design," said Ferraro. "In addition, we've developed several Koha enhancement features: Amazon.com content (item cover images, descriptions, reviews, and ratings), spellchecking on failed search queries, and an auto-completion "Koha Suggest" for the OPAC keyword search, to name a few."

Mambo is one of the most powerful open-source Content Management Systems available. It simplifies creation, management, and sharing of content on a library's website or intranet. LibLime's Virtual Library Intranet include several components: a web e-mail client, staff news, staff directory, staff forums, electronic management of documents and forms, a digital image gallery, and a powerful calendar application.

LibLime plans to expand its product line in coming months. Looking ahead, Ferraro noted,"We plan to support Evergreen (the Georgia PINES open-ils project) for larger library systems and consortia upon its completion. Also, we're looking at thin-client solutions using Linux Terminal Server Project as a way of reviving a library's aging PCs. We're also developing an open-source Z39.50 client/server with an integrated MARC editor to assist libraries with copy-cataloging. Finally, we're customizing the WIBS system for managing internet usage within a library system. So our software engineers are quite busy."

Pricing and Availability

In the world of open source all the software is free! "The idea is that when we all work together on a software project it will better evolve to meet all of our needs. LibLime's business model relies on 'support' rather than 'licenses'. If you have the means to support the software, we want you to be able to do so, and we hope you'll even contribute to the development efforts (either by programming or by suggestions) to make the software better. If you can't support it yourself, or you need help with other services like webhosting, installation, training, that's where we come in."

LibLime is focusing on providing support for North American libraries of all types: academic, public, consortia, school and special.

Press Contact:

Tina Burger
Vice President, Marketing
LibLime
(888) Koha ILS (564-2457)
tnb@liblime.com