4. kohais the first open sourceintegrated library system (ILS). Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the HorowhenuaLibrary Trust in New Zealand, the first installation went live in January 2000.
6. Koha is arguably the “best” integrated library system available and it continues to evolve, offering users more features and capabilities. Even though it was developed over ten years ago, recent blog posts indicate the significance and relevance of this software.
7. The first Koha Librarian – Honoured today June 7th, 2010 by Chris Cormack Every year in New Zealand on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, New Zealanders who have provided service to the community are honoured. In this years honours list Rosalie Blake, who was the head librarian at Horowhenua Library Trust when Koha was written, was honoured with a QSM (Queen’s Service Medal). Rosalie Helen Blake, Levin, for services to the library profession I’m sure the whole Koha community will congratulate her on a well deserved award. Recent blog post:
8. In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha’s feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base.
14. Pay for Support Several companies around the world support Koha and are happy to provide libraries with the full array of services including installation, migration assistance, data integrity testing, staff training, software maintenance, and development of new features. To learn more about what services are available visit the 'Pay for Support' page at http://koha.org/support. Support Options
15. Of course, if a library has the in-house expertise to manage an ILS, they may wish to support Koha themselves. There is a wealth of information, documentation and community resources available, including: Free Support
16. A Documentation Center A Koha Wiki Live Chat Free Demos To learn more about the available community and development resources visit theFree Support page at http://koha.org/support. Free Support Options
18. The recent downturn in the economy and continuing recession has forced the major industry players in library automation to compete aggressively. These companies must distinguish themselves by providing products and services that are innovative and sustainable. Koha continues to find adoption by public and smaller academic libraries in the United States and Canada. Considering all of the features available, the extensive user base and support options available, user friendly, and there are PC and Mac versions available, Koha is the integrated library system of choice. Conclusion
