GRPL Launches Evergreen

Grand Rapids Public Library goes live on Michigan Evergreen

Congratulations to Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) Director Marcia Warner and her staff!  We at MLC are happy to announce that GRPL went live on Evergreen yesterday, joining Branch District Library in the Michigan Evergreen shared system. For details, see the article posted on Library Technology Guides.

We believe that GRPL - with 925,000 bib records and a population of 197,000 - might be the largest individual public library to adopt Evergreen as its ILS.  So much for the myth that open source ILS software is only for small libraries!  Plus, Equinox said that this migration was the easiest they've ever done, due mostly to the dedication and expertise of GRPL's Bill Ott who maintains the Michigan Evergreen database and servers.  Thanks, Bill -- we're lucky to have you on board!

The next Michigan Evergreen pilot library to go live will be Niles District Library on October 6.  Stay tuned!

The Michigan Evergreen shared ILS will be open for new libraries to join in 2009.   If you are interested in learning more about Michigan Evergreen, please note that we are presenting Michigan Evergreen programs at MLA's Annual Conference in Kalamazoo (Oct. 23, 1:30pm) and at MAME's Conference in Dearborn (Nov. 7, 1:00pm).  We will also demonstrate Michigan Evergreen at MLC's Booth (#7) in the Exhibit Hall at the MLA Annual Conference, Oct. 22-23.

For further information about the Michigan Evergreen Project, please visit the Michigan Evergreen blog or feel free to contact MLC's Michigan Evergreen staff: Ruth Dukelow (dukelow@mlcnet.org or ext. 121), Evette Atkin (atkine@mlcnet.org or ext. 152), and Elaine Ross (rosse@mlcnet.org or ext. 153).

[30 Sep 2008]