Evergreen Library Software

     Evergreen Library Software is an open source software for libraries. It leads the management, cataloging, and circulation of library materials, and through its online public access interface it allows libraries to perform everyday functions (Evergreen, 2013). Evergreen makes it easy for small or big libraries to handle everyday library functions. It is also free to download and use for any library. It is an open source software, and therefore, there are many collaborators that help create Evergreen, and continue to update the software making it better for libraries to use.

    Evergreen was born in 2006 for Georgia Public Library System to support their growing shared catalog for the state libraries (Evergreen, 2013). Currently it is operating on the latest upgrade which is 2.5, which was released in January 2014 (Evergreen, 2014).

Some helpful information about Evergreen:

• Over 1000 libraries around the world use Evergreen
• It is a web application
• It is a METADATA search engine (Evergreen, 2014)

     Due to the fact that Evergreen is an open source Integrated Library System (ILS); new downloads are happening every day. They currently do not know how many libraries are using the Evergreen software because it is free to use. Due to the reality that the software is free; all a library has to do is download the software, but you also need to know what you are doing also. A library must have someone on staff that has a technical background in administrating LINUX. Most librarians do not have this background, but they do use this opportunity to partner with companies that offer Evergreen support and that will install the software for them (Evergreen, 2014).

    Evergreen ILS, is compatible with any size library. It is a web application that can be downloaded and used locally or system wide. Due to the open source software guidelines, Evergreen will always be free, and developers will always have access to the codes used to make Evergreen what it is today.

References

Evergreen. (2013). Evergreen documentation. Retrieved from
    http://docs.evergreen-ils.org/2.5/_about_evergreen.html

Evergreen. (2014). About us. Retrieved from http://evergreen-ils.org/about-us/

Evergreen. (2014). Evergreen downloads. Retrieved from http://evergreen-ils.org/egdownloads/

Evergreen. (2014). Faqs:evergreen_faq_1. Retrieved from
     http://wiki.evergreen-ils.org/doku.php?id=faqs:evergreen_faq_1