The Koha Project

In early 2002 the Athens County Public Libraries undertook a new project. The goal was implement a complete library automation system using only open source software. The library focused its attention on the most mature and fully-featured system available at the time, Koha. At the time, Koha was still in version 1, and used in only a few libraries around the world. No public library in the United States used Koha or any open-source ILS. After extensive testing and development, Koha went into use at The Athens County Public Libraries in the fall of 2003. The library continues to use it today.

Read A Koha Diary: Implementing Koha at the Nelsonville Public Library

The Athens County Public Libraries have been closely involved with the development of Koha from the very beginning of its investigations of the open-source ILS. The library has funded development, contributed code, hosted Koha informational meetings, and promoted Koha at regional library conferences. The library now contracts with ByWater Solutions for Koha support and our staff works closely with them to further Koha's development.

• From 2003: Questions and Answers about Koha with Stephen Hedges, Nelsonville Public Library Director

Press coverage of Nelsonville's switch to Koha:

• Koha wins Free Software award (5/28/03)
• Biblio Tech Review: Nelsonville Public Library Chooses Open Source (9/19/02)
• LinuxPlanet: Koha: A Library Checks Out Open Source (8/30/02)
• Linux PR news story (8/26/02)
• Information Today: An Update on Open Source ILS (10/8/02)

Koha Resources:

• Koha Project homepage, and About Koha
• ACPL's original Request For Proposal -- MARC 21 record support for Koha

Open Source Links

• Oss4lib -- Open Source Software for Libraries : encouraging open source software engineering to build better and free systems for use in libraries
• GNU Project and Free Software Foundation : One of the founding organizations of free and Open Source software. Home of the GNU Public license and many open source projects.