Aristotle said “Change in all things is sweet.” The Library has been doing a lot of changes lately. The next one is a change to our ILS – our online catalog system. On March 29th we are joining a state-wide consortium called NC-Cardinal, and changing to a new system called Evergreen. This change is being sponsored by the North Carolina State Library and is being paid for by an LSTA grant (That’s Library and Technology Services Act – a federal program that supports libraries nationwide.)
What does this mean for our library patrons? Initially, a better, faster online catalog that is easier and more intuitive to use, and doesn’t have timeout messages. Eventually, there will be a statewide network of libraries at your fingertips. We are one of the “early partners” in this consortium, but a few other libraries are already up and running, including Buncombe County. If you want a sneak peak at what the catalog will look like you can go to here.
What is an ILS? It stands for Integrated Library System. It is the automation system that includes the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) and the circulation system. In other words, it’s the software and hardware that allow the library users and staff to find and use the library’s resources. The ILS catalog keeps track of all the items that are available for library patrons to check out or use, such as books, DVDs, computers, puzzles, etc. The ILS presents these items to the library uses and staff in a searchable interface called the OPAC or online catalog. The ILS also has a user database of who can check out those library resources, and what they currently have checked out, on hold, etc. This is the user’s account information that they can access through the OPAC. The ILS, as you can imagine, is a massive and expensive system that connects all out libraries together and allows us to serve our public as efficiently as possible.
We are about to change our ILS. Fontana has been using the same ILS vendor for 18 years. Both the Library and the ILS have gone through a lot of changes in those years. But we have come to a parting of the ways. There are new options available now that just weren’t around 18 years ago. One of those options is called Evergreen.
Evergreen is a robust, open-source integrated library system best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia. However, it has also proven equally successful scaled down for even the smallest libraries. Evergreen now supports over 1,000 libraries of every type-public, academic, special, and school media centers across 4 countries, 31 U.S. states, and 8 Canadian provinces. The Georgia PINES, King County Public Library System, SCLENDS, and NC Cardinal consortiums are all currently running Evergreen. (Yes, this is a quote from the vendor’s website.)
Speaking of the vendor, another quote: Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a leader in open source solutions for libraries. Their goal is to engage and support a rapidly growing open source community while assisting libraries in moving away from expensive proprietary vendors and products.
That part about expensive proprietary systems is true. It was costing the library a lot of money to license the old system. And we also had to host the software in our own library, which meant buying and regularly updating, maintaining, and replacing an expensive server. Now all that will be done by Equinox for a fraction of the cost. In these tough economic times that means that we have been able to use the money we are saving from this change to keep from laying off staff or reducing our collections. And going forward, it will continue to save money and provide the smartest use of taxpayer funds for the best service.
This is a big change for us, and initially, we expect there will be some days that the libraries will be closed to train staff on the new system and to migrate the data. We will post those closings as soon as the dates as confirmed. We also expect that, like any new system, there will be some initial glitches once we get up and running. Stay tuned to this blog for more information about NC-Cardinal in the coming weeks.










