IPSWICH, Mass. — June 22, 2023 — More than 100 libraries worldwide have transitioned to the FOLIO Library Services Platform (LSP) with help from EBSCO FOLIO Services from EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). EBSCO FOLIO’s reach spans numerous countries from all corners of the globe, supporting diversity amongst the community and honoring its commitment to providing representation in open source initiatives.
Since FOLIO’s conception in 2016, the LSP has undergone substantial advancements. While FOLIO’s community of contributors has expanded, several organizations, including EBSCO, have actively contributed to its evolution. As one of the founders of the FOLIO project, EBSCO has provided resources and expertise in accelerating the development and adoption of FOLIO, enriching its functionality, and prioritizing globalization efforts to welcome new perspectives.
Current EBSCO FOLIO sites representing more than 100 libraries include academic research libraries, consortia, shared systems, universities of all sizes, and community colleges. EBSCO FOLIO Services consultants are located worldwide and provide services in multiple languages. In addition to the sites that are already live, several libraries are slated to move to FOLIO over the next year, including GALILEO, the Library of Congress, the MOBIUS consortium, and the National Library of Australia.
EBSCO FOLIO’s customizable architecture allows for easy development, and EBSCO FOLIO's integration options enable customization for each site. Due to its open nature, EBSCO FOLIO’s APIs and utilities can connect with various external systems and services to help manage the entire lifecycle of a library’s management systems, including electronic resource management (ERM), authentication, discovery, analytics, and more.
EBSCO Information Services Director of FOLIO Consulting Services, Anya Arnold, says the impact of EBSCO FOLIO’s globalization allows libraries to bring expertise and knowledge from diverse backgrounds. “EBSCO FOLIO lets libraries break free from the proprietary offerings of traditional ILS and create a truly inclusive and customizable experience that meets their unique needs,” Anya explains the importance of having different viewpoints within the community. “From 2019, when Chalmers University of Technology (in Sweden) was our first site to go live, to 2023, with over 100 sites, the library community has shown increasing support for the open source system and EBSCO's services. EBSCO FOLIO fosters collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing, which paves the way for a global initiative that empowers libraries to thrive in the digital age. Our community members bring valuable experiences to the table, ensuring that these diverse communities' needs, interests, and concerns are considered.”
About FOLIO
FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers, and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information go to www.folio.org.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Erica Gilson
Senior Communications Specialist
egilson@ebsco.com
978-414-0385
