Comments on: SOPAC 2.0 Libraries

By: Richard Bernier

Richard Bernier — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:26:40 +0000

When adopting Web 2.0 technology, libraries should do so while working it into their strategic goals and objectives and understanding their users. http://thisthatotherthing.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/becoming-library-2-0-the-right-way

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:51:00 +0000

I’m so excited to see how interactive the next generation OPACs are becoming. I’m loving the “Browse the Catalog” catagories! Go SOPAC!

By: John

John — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:17:40 +0000

In fact, SOPAC’s development group has grown to include a number of very smart people from different organizations and backgrounds, so it’s not just me. We’re expecting a SOPAC 2.1 release candidate sometime in November and it will include code contributed by AADL, YourLibrarySite, and BibLibre.

By: Joseph Muennich

Joseph Muennich — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:57:36 +0000

Our group at YourLibrarySite.com is also actively working on two more SOPAC integrated library sites – now that we’ve gotten our first SOPAC site launched (PVLD.org). Next up are Newport Beach Public Library (http://www.newport-beach.ca.us/nbpl/) and SAILS (http://sailsinc.org/ …a consortium with a Sirsi based ILS). Interest by libraries in finding a sharable open source solution seems to be growing (we are getting a lot of questions sent our way, in any case) – a development model where a library’s budget goes towards the creation of new features instead of for licensing fees.

One exciting facet to working with the library community is how libraries do not treat each other as competitors – in fact they are excited to hear when a new feature we have just built will be used by the next library to get SOPAC …in some cases pooling their resources to add a feature they both need (PVLD and Newport Beach are taking this approach) …something I didn’t see too often back when I was doing a lot of corporate work.

It is nice to see SOPAC “take off” – and I expect it to be even more fun to see where it heads next.

- Joseph Muennich