Evergreen Newsletter *The newsletter for Evergreen open source library software http://evergreen -ils.org*
*Volume 2, Issue 7 -- August, 2009 * As a reminder, we will also post this newsletter to the Evergreen general discussion list (see all Evergreen lists at http://evergreen -ils.org/listserv.php) and to the Evergreen blog (http://evergreen -ils.org/blog). Cross-posting and forwarding is encouraged. In This Issue… Evergreen Out and About, Evergreen Documentation Survey Needs Your Help, Evergreen Development Update, Evergreen People, Lyrasis Evergreen Classes, New Evergreen Libraries, Newsletter Administrivia Out and About: An Evergreen Calendar The one tidbit in this nicely quiet summer month is that the dates for the next international Evergreen conference have been set: April 21 -23, 2010. Watch for a site announcement shortly -- the site nomination committee has been hard at work! <http://evergreen-ils.org/calendar> If you have Evergreen-related events to add (talks, conferences, etc.), just email [email protected]. Documentation Interest Group: Please Take the Survey NLT August 20! Please help the Evergreen project by taking the documentation needs assessment survey no later than Thursday, August 20: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=mDtin8UHNS8VcMUAGg5_2bvA_3d_3d This survey will help the Evergreen project prioritize and plan its activities. You are welcome to take the survey no matter what your role is in your organization or where you are in your Evergreen journey. The Evergreen DIG (Documentation Interest Group) has made terrific strides since forming in late May and committing to single-source, XML-based documentation. Some of the highlights of this group's activity include a gorgeous proof of concept, a thorough environmental scan of existing documentation, careful attention to the group's scope and mission, and, in work, the all-important style guide. See: http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=evergreen-docs:dig Come on board--there's room for many-a-more! Email [email protected] more info. Webinar: Evergreen ILS and MARC Format for Holdings Data (MFHD) David J. Fiander, Web Services Librarian, University of Western Ontario, did an outstanding job. For those who couldn't attend, the webinar is here: http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=community_tutorials Evergreen Development Update Evergreen 1.4.0.6 is due out this week, and should introduce a few bug fixes. See the Evergreen Roadmap for a full list of enhancements in 1.6, due out soon, and for a top-level view of what’s coming in 2.0: <http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:evergreen_roadmap> http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:evergreen_roadmap Evergreen People * **VOWS*: When the academic year ended at Charles University in Prague, Linda Skolkova and Vaclav Jansa, who taught the Evergreen course at the Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship, could finally find some spare time... to get married! They said their I do’s on July 18 at the New Town Hall in Prague. You are welcome to virtually join the ceremony and subsequent celebration at http://www.skolkova.net/webalba/svatba/ . The happy couple will resume Evergreen-related instruction this fall. *HIRES*: Meanwhile, Equinox Software Inc., “The Evergreen Experts,” recently hired Galen Charlton as Vice President for Data Services and Dave Brown as sysadmin. Charlton is a skilled developer and data migration specialist who in his decade in the industry has led developers and data specialists through hundreds of successful data migrations, has contributed his development acumen to thousands of lines of code, and has guided libraries through numerous successful development projects. Brown brings over 15 years of IT experience, most recently as Library Systems Manager for the Mayo Clinic. California: Workshops on Open Source If you were at the Evergreen conference this spring, you might have had a chance to experience a fun, engaging program based on a half-day workshop by The Open Source Open Libraries Consortium of California ( opensource.califa.org), a group that is working hard to bring awareness of open source library system software to libraries in their state. In the workshop, Lori Ayre (library technology consultant with The Galecia Group) and Cheryl Gould (training faciliator with Fully Engaged Libraries) combine exercises and activities that engage and energize the participates while teaching them about open source software--what it is, how it is licensed, and why it makes so much sense for libraries. Check them out! Lyrasis Evergreen Training Classes Lyrasis is offering an Evergreen Cataloging Class 8/19 at 2pm EST. To register please see the Lyrasis website at: http://www.lyrasis.org/Classes%20and%20Events/Catalog/E/Evergreen%20Catalog%20Module%20Live%20Online.aspx Since October, Lyrasis (created from a merger of SOLINET and PALINET) has taught dozens of Evergreen classes to over 100 students. Lyrasis is dedicated to training and instructing Evergreen, and they welcome your comments and suggestions for courses. All of their current course offerings are continuously updated, and Lyrasis plans to add more courses in the future. For comments or questions, contact Lyrasis instructors *Jennifer.B [email protected]* or [email protected] Planet Evergreen Can't get enough news about Evergreen open source software? Subscribe to or read Planet Evergreen, an aggregator for Evergreen-related posts, at http://planet.evergreen-ils.org . Have a blog that talks about Evergreen? To add your blog to the Planet Evergreen blog aggregator, send email to Dan Scott at [email protected] Evergreen on Facebook Evergreen has a growing Facebook group at the not-so-mnemonic address of http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6396639614 We are now posting events to this group, such as the Evergreen conference and the ALA Midwinter get-together, as well as press releases for new Evergreen libraries and systems and other related news. The group now has over 300 members. A Few Reminders *Webinars and videos*: Don't forget the section on the Evergreen wiki devoted to community-contributed documentation and tutorials<http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=community_tutorials> . Evergreen also has a Flickr set: http://flickr.com/photos/evergreen-ils/ New Evergreen Libraries: Welcome Aboard! See the growing list of Evergreen libraries at: http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=evergreen_libraries This list is open to all Evergreen libraries, from commercially-supported to "grow-your-own." Please add your library if it's not there! Highlights from the latest additions: *Sitka *in British Columbia just rolled out two more libraries, Alert Bay Public Library and College of the Rockies, for a total of 21 libraries on a shared catalog. *The Haines (Alaska) library catalog* is part of a cooperative partnership among the public library, the Haines Elementary Media Center, the Haines High School Library, and the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center. * * *Evergreen Indiana* now has 37 libraries live on its shared catalog, including Shoals Public Library—the first previously non-automated library to join Evergreen Indiana—as well as Andrews Dallas Township, Loogootee, Middletown Fall Creek, Milford, Washington Public Township, Waterloo Grant Township, Pike County, Alexandria-Monroe, Kendalville & Limberlost Public Libraries. If you'd like to follow along as libraries join the Evergreen community, you can subscribe to the Equinox press release feed, which will announce most known Evergreen implementations (or follow the Facebook group mentioned above). The Equinox press release feed <http://esilibrary.com/esi/news.rss>was recently tweaked to make it easier to track and share the releases. ** *Newsletter Administrivia * Feel free to forward, share, etc.! The co-wranglers for this newsletter (produced every month… sometimes earlier, sometimes later… what can we say!) are Karen Schneider, Equinox Community Librarian and John Fink, Digital Technologies Development Librarian at McMaster University.
