Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager: A Comparison of Their Staff Modules

Ten Years of Experience, A Future of PossibilitiesVALE / NJ ACRL/ NJLA CUS Tenth Annual Users' Conference Friday, January 9, 2009

Sharon Yang, Melissa A. Hofmann , and Meghan WeeksRider University Libraries

Overview of the Presentation•Introduction

▫Open source & GNU General Public License▫Open source ILS▫Koha and Evergreen

•Staff client comparison•Comparison of staff functions

▫Acquisitions▫Cataloging▫Circulation▫System administration

•Behind-the-scenes technologies•Cost analysis•Conclusion

Introduction: Open Source & GNU GPL

GNU General Public License▫ GNU is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not Unix" ▫ Free to run, study, modify, and redistribute the software▫ Support is not free

Other open source licenses▫ Mozilla Public License▫ Creative Commons licenses▫ BSD License▫ Apache Software License▫ GNU Free Documentation License

Introduction: Why Open Source ILS?

• Financial considerations• Ability to tailor to fit local needs or customization• No restrictions on use• User driven vs. profit driven• Dissatisfaction with current ILS• No vendor lock-in

Introduction: Open Source ILS

• Avanti MicroLCS (http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/)• Emilda, Finland (http://www.emilda.org)• Evergreen, US (http://evergreen-ils.org/)• Koha, New Zealand (http://koha.org)• Learning Access ILS, US (www.learningaccess.org)• NewGenLib, India (http://www.verussolutions.biz)• OpenBiblio (http://obiblio.sourceforge.net/)• PhpMyLibrary, Philippines (http://phpmylibrary.com/pml/)• PMB (PhpMyBibli), France (http://www.sigb.net)• PYTHEAS, US

(http://web2.uwindsor.ca/library/leddy/people/art/pytheas/index.html)

• OPALS, US (http://www.opals-na.org/opals-fac.html)• WebLIS, UNESCO & Poland (http://www.unesco.org/isis/)

In conceptual stage: • OLE: The Open Library Environment (http://www.oleproject.org)

Introduction: Koha & Evergreen

• English language• More mature that other open source ILSs• More complete functions/modules• More users • Available technical support and planned future

releases

Comparison of Staff Modules: Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager

“A thorough process of evaluating an integrated library system (ILS) today would not be complete without also weighing the open source ILS products against their proprietary counterparts."

-Marshall Breeding, Chapter 4, "Open Source Integrated Library Systems"

Comparison: Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager

Koha

Evergreen

Voyager

First developed 1999 2005 1994

First implemented by a US library

2002 2006 1994

First became a turnkey system with technical support

2006 2006 1994

Number of libraries as of 1/09

400 305 1179

Staff Modules

Koha Evergreen Voyager

Acquisitions Cataloging OPAC Circulation System Serials Reports

Comparison: Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager

Note: Evergreen Acquisitions & Serials modules are currently under joint development by Equinox, Georgia Public Library Service, and several Evergreen libraries. No release date yet.

Staff Client ComparisonKoha-web browser

Evergreen-locally installed client (Windows, Linux, Mac)

CatC

Voyager-locally installed client (Windows)

CirculationCataloging

System Admin

Acquisitions

System Admin

Circulation

Cataloging

Acquisitions ComparisonActivities Voyager KohaSearch parameters Vendors, Ledgers, Funds, Rollover

Rules, PO #, Line Items, Invoices, EDI Profiles, Routing Lists, Pub. Patterns

Vendor name or title/vendor name only

Import MARC records Yes No (use existing bib, use suggestion, or create short bib).

View/edit MARC records Yes (cataloging module must also be open and same operator signed in)

No, must search in catalog; edit in catalog (takes you away from P.O. screens)

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

Yes No (in planning stage)

Fiscal Period Close/Rollover

Yes No

Selection lists No No? Unless requesting through OPAC

Patrons suggestions via OPAC and notification

No Yes

Acquisitions cont.

Activities Voyager KohaConnect to university accounting software

No No

Add requestor information to an item

Yes No (Notes field only)

Ability to notify requestor of status

No Only if from OPAC.

Flagging an order (rush, etc.)

Yes No (Notes field only)

Receiving/marking monographs

Yes Yes

Subscription maintenance (patterns)

Yes Yes (Serials module)

Serials check-in Yes Yes (Serials module)

Koha Acquisitions: Issues for Libraries

• Sample WALDO Requirements for Acquisitions before moving to Koha▫ Print out P.O. or email as PDF▫ Print cancellations and claim notices▫ Flag orders upon receipt (rush, hold, reserve, ILL)▫ Allow budget hierarchies ▫ Print out listing of all fund codes▫ Standing order functionality▫ Serials acquisitions: EBSCO invoice handling,

building POs for serial items, mark for automatic renewal)

From: “WALDO Development Projects Enhancements for Academic Libraries, Core Development Projects,” June 2008

• Issues raised by Arcadia University: ▫ Unable to search by order number▫ Unable to view a particular fund and see orders

from that fund

Evergreen Acquisitions Timeline• Evergreen Acquisitions and Serials Timelines (Beta, Early 2009)

▫ Federated Z39.50/Evergreen Bibliographic Search▫ Basic Fund, Provider, Funding Sources, and Picklist management

interfaces▫ Support for loading vendor order records for creating POs▫ PO creation from selected items▫ Initial receiving interfaces▫ Rich permissions infrastructure▫ Support for EDI ordering and acknowledgment▫ Support for creating brief bibliographic order records

• 1.0 (Evergreen 2.0), Spring 2009▫ Serials Check-in (prediction)▫ Distribution patterns▫ Automatic claiming

• Later▫ Vendor web services for bib discovery▫ Amazon Discover API▫ Advanced shipment notification via EDI From: http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=acq:timeline

Cataloging ComparisonVoyager Koha Evergreen

Import from file (non-Z39.50, e.g. export from OCLC Connexion)

Yes. Bibs and authority.

Yes* Bibs only.

Through “Tools” module (not in Cataloging). Two step process. Records stay in “reservoir” indefinitely?

Yes*

(Coming in version 1.4). Bibs and authority through “Vandelay” batch MARC import/export

Bib import from Z39.50

Yes Yes Yes

Holdings export Yes (MARC) Yes, MARC or XML Yes

Authority control Yes Yes * but ease and logistics of loading records

Yes * but how do you access authority records?

Automatic update of bib records from authority records

Yes* Global Headings Change option requires a few steps both in Cataloging and Sys Admin. Not truly automatic; has limitations in function.

No? No

Cataloging cont.Voyager Koha Evergreen

Overlay/merge records

Yes Yes* Preserve MARC fields in target record?

Yes* Preserve MARC fields in target record?

Suppress bibs Yes No No

Mini/short bib flagging/catalog review

Yes No No? “Mark for overlay”?

Bib templates (where fields are pre-populated with text)

Yes No (“Framework” under Admin., but this defines 008 values “form of material”)

No. (Item templates only.)

Diacritic entry Yes No No

Cataloging cont.Voyager Koha Evergreen

Tracking of changes/operator history

Yes.(Update, merge, overlay, un/suppress. Tab in module.

YesLink on screen, uses Tools (Add, delete, modify only.)

No (Only “last edited by” and library I.D.)

Global data change No. Soon (2009, V. 8)

No No

Metadata choices (Dublin Core, etc.)

No. MARC only.

No.Maps MARC to Koha SQL

No (Create/import MARC)

Reorder MARC fields

Yes No. Reorder subfields only.

No

MFHD (MARC for Holdings Data)

Yes No No

Supplies ISBD punctuation

No No No

Spine Labels No Yes* But under Tools, Label Templates

Yes

CirculationVoyager Koha Evergreen

Patron image No Yes No

Bulk import of patrons

Yes* Yes Not easily

Recalls Yes No No

Course Reserves Yes No No

Calendar Yes Yes No

Offline Transactions Yes No Yes

Circulation Comparison: Patron Search

Evergreen Circulation Enhancements

• Release candidate 1.4 (October 2008)▫ New interface for circulation rules▫ Credit card payments▫ Pre-overdue (reminder) notices

• Release 2.0 (Winter 2008/2009)▫ Recalls▫ Reserves (Print and Electronic)

• Release 3.0 and higher (2009 and beyond)▫ Netflix-style hold queues▫ Web based patron self registrationFrom: http:// evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:evergreen_roadmap

Comparison: System Administration

Behind the Scenes TechnologiesKoha (3.0)• Server software: Linux (Debian), Apache, MySQL, Perl• Client: web browser • Limitation: any amount of data that MySQL can handle

Evergreen (1.2.4.0)• Server software: Linux (Debian, Gentoo, and Ubuntu),

Windows (via a virtualized Unix-guest OS such as VirtualBox or Vmware) ,PostgreSQL

• Client: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Evergreen Client

Voyager (7.03)• Server: Solaris, Windows, Linux, Oracle• Client: Windows, Voyager client (Acquisitions, Cataloging,

Circulation, Reporter, System Admin)

Behind the Scenes Technologies: Installation

According to a 2008 survey of 361 libraries of Koha, Evergreen and proprietary ILS, libraries did not choose Koha or Evergreen for three reasons (Riewe 2008):

1.Hard to install the system and some parts do not work.

2.Lack of good documentation3.Lack of functionality

Behind the Scenes Technologies: Labor Costs

Initial labor cost may be higher than proprietary ILS. “The higher initial labor costs of open source ILSs in some categories corroborate the view that OSS requires greater technical sophistication to use than proprietary software” (Riewe 2008).

Collection Size (items)

Koha Evergreen Proprietary

>=1,000 & <10,000 $1,358 $250

>=10,000 & <25,000 $3,232 $1,350

>=25,000 & <50,000 $5958 $953 $375

>=50,000 & <100,000 $9,167 $14,600

>=100,000 & <1,000,000

$18,023 34,719

Initial Cost of ILS

Collection Size by Items

Koha Evergreen Proprietary

>=100 & <500 $250

>=500 & <1,000 $1,950

>=1,000 & <10,000 $1,407 $25,125

>=10,000 & 25,000 $3,859 $9,700

>=25,000 & 50,000 $5,958 $953 $8,000

>=50,000 &100,000 $19,250 $78,364

>=100,000 & <1,000,000

$21,675 $217,609

>=1,000,000 $266,719

Software, License fee, installation, configuration, migration of data, documentation, training (Riewe, 2008)

Annual Cost of ILS

Collection Size by Items

Koha Evergreen Proprietary

>=100 & <500 $250

>=500 & <1,000 $450

>=1,000 & <10,000 $664 $4,708

>=10,000 & 25,000 $1,429 $3,200

>=25,000 & 50,000 $1,917 $1698 $10,281

>=50,000 &100,000 $2,550 $18,167

>=100,000 & <1,000,000

$6,023 $38,870

>=1,000,000 $69,250

Support Contract, Maintenance, License Fees (Riewe, 2008)

Conclusion

Libraries need to evaluate resources (budget, staffing, etc.) vs. needs

Questions?

References

• Ayre, L. and Kress, L. (2008). Software requirements specification for the acquisitions module of an integrated library system. March 2008. Retrieved Jan. 5, 2009, from http://www.kcls.org/opensource/kcls-acquisitions-requirements.pdf

• Breeding, M. 2008. Automation Marketplace 2008: Opportunity Out of Turmoil. Library Journal 133 (6), 32-38.

• Breeding, M. 2007. Next-generation library catalogs. Library Technology Reports 43 (4).

• Riewe, L. M. (2008). Survey of Open Source Integrated Library Systems.  Unpublished master's thesis, San José State University, 210 North 4th  Street San Jose, CA 95112 . Retrieved January/February, 2009, from  http://users.sfo.com/~lmr/ils-survey.html

• The Evergreen Community. (n.d.). Evergreen [F&Q, documentation, download].      Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://open-ils.org/

• “WALDO Development Projects Enhancements for Academic Libraries, Core Development Projects,” July 2008