Collaborating to Ready Evergreen for Massachusetts Libraries
Kathy Lussier, MassLNC Project CoordinatorMassachusetts Library Association Conference
May 10, 2012
The Massachusetts Evergreen Project
• What have the MassLNC consortia been doing for the past 2 years?
• What does the switch to open source software mean for libraries?
• Working with the greater Evergreen community.
• MassLNC’s future
Background
• Joint Application for $412,000 LSTA Grant.• C/W MARS• MVLC• NOBLE
• Investigate and select a single open source Integrated Library System.
• Jointly develop the system to better meet local needs.
• Mutual support system.
MassLNC Libraries Go Evergreen
• MVLC live on Evergreen since May 31, 2011.
• C/W MARS and NOBLE going live on May 29, 2012.
A new model for collaboration around Evergreen
MassLNC Pre-Migration Activities
• Shared decisions
• Mutual support
• Shared development
Evergreen Development
• Iterative process of identifying and prioritizing needs.
• Monitoring of development from other Evergreen libraries.
• Communication with Evergreen community about development plans.
• Open RFP’s to find contractors.
Some MassLNC sponsored projects• Major cataloging enhancements.
• Support for texting call numbers and hold notices.
• Enhancements to Syrup academic course reserves systems.
• Improved scoping in the public catalog.
• General staff client improvements.
• Improvements to the newly-developed acquisitions system.
Challenges
• The public catalog was a moving target throughout the project.
Traditional Evergreen Catalog
New Evergreen Catalog
Challenges
• The public catalog was a moving target throughout the project
• Release schedules
• Small vendor community
Highlights
• Greater communication among 3 participating networks.
• Working collaboratively with greater Evergreen community.• Development partnerships lead to greater savings.
• Seeing wishes turned into functionality.• MVLC post-migration punchlist – 46 requests for enhancements;
25 have been addressed or are in the works.
What does the switch to open source software mean for libraries?
• Libraries gain control over their systems
• Functionality
• Use of funds
• Who supports the system
• But there are constraints
Changing ways networks provide services
• In the past, new ideas sometimes led to dead ends because a vendor was unwilling to make the necessary development happen.
• Now, the decision lies in the network’s hands.
About the Evergreen Community
• Evergreen is a member of the Software Freedom Conservancy.
• Holds assets on behalf of Evergreen.
• A two-year-old Oversight Board formed to safeguard and govern the interests of the larger Evergreen user and developer communities.
• Maturing development cycles
Participation in the community
• Community involvement is a key component to success with OSS.
• For Evergreen support
• For bug fixes & development
• For building partnerships
MassLNC participation at all levels
• Core Committer – Thomas Berezansky, MVLC
• Chief Bug Wrangler – Jason Stephenson, MVLC
• Evergreen Oversight Board member – Kathy Lussier, MassLNC
• Various levels of participation in Documentation Interest group, Reports Interest Group, Cataloging Interest Group.
MassLNC’s Future• Business Planning Task Force formed to set future
direction of project.
• Opportunity to assess what is needed to support continued cooperation.
• Will continue with central coordinator.
• All networks committing funds to continue development.
• New governance structure begins July 1.
Questions?