Journal of Information and Knowledge (Formerly SRELS Journal of Information Management)

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FOLIO: The Future of Library is Open


Affiliations
1 Executive - Library, Ashoka University, Sonipat – 131029, Haryana, India
2 Doctoral Researcher, Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Art, University of Delhi, New Delhi – 110007, Delhi, India
3 Library Assistant, Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai - 410206, Maharashtra, India
     

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Ranganathan's 5th law of library science says that libraries never become stagnant. While financial constraints are a common challenge for libraries, user expectations are continuously growing. To meet and exceed user expectations, libraries must embrace new technologies and software solutions. Open-source options have proven to be particularly beneficial for nonprofit organizations like libraries. Looking to the future, as libraries continue their digital transformation, many library automation software, especially traditional library management systems (ILS), are becoming outdated. In response to the diverse requirements of libraries, the architecture of Library Services Platforms (LSP) offers enhanced flexibility and functionality within a unified platform. Among the various LSPs that have emerged over the past seven years, FOLIO has demonstrated rapid development and progress. Upon exploration, it becomes evident that FOLIO's developers have prioritized a micro-services architecture, emphasizing apps over modules. This approach provides a comprehensive multitasking app environment, a user-friendly Dashboard for quick access, efficient data management, and much more. The user-friendly nature of FOLIO sets it apart from traditional Integrated Library Systems (ILS), which may lack such ease of use. Despite its abundant features, FOLIO is still relatively under-recognized in India. This paper aims to discuss the distinctive features of FOLIO, it’s potential as a comprehensive solution for libraries, and whether it can effectively replace traditional ILS systems.

Keywords

Future of Librariesi Is Open (FOLIO), Future of Libraries is Open (FOLIO), Integrated Library System (ILS), Library Services Platform (LSP), Open-Source Software (OSS).
User
About The Authors

Satbir Chauhan
Executive - Library, Ashoka University, Sonipat – 131029, Haryana
India

K. Kandhasamy
Doctoral Researcher, Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Art, University of Delhi, New Delhi – 110007, Delhi
India

N. Sakthivel
Library Assistant, Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai - 410206, Maharashtra
India


Notifications

  • Bareau, V. (2019A). The codex metadata model. The Open Library Foundation: FOLIO project. https://wiki.folio.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1415393

  • Bareau, V. (2019B). Available at: The codex vision. The Open Library Foundation: FOLIO project. Available at: https://wiki.folio.org/display/PLATFORM/The+Codex+Vision

  • Breeding, M. (2015). Library services platforms: A maturing genre of products. American Library Association, 51(4). https://journals.ala.org/ltr/issue/download/509/259

  • Enis, M. (2022). Open for growth: Open source platforms on the rise. Library journal. Available at: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/Industry%20News/Open-for-Growth-Open-Source-Platforms-on-the-Rise

  • Grant, C. (2012). The future of library systems: Library services platforms. Information Standards Quarterly, 24(4), 4. https://doi.org/10.3789/isqv24n4.2012.02

  • Index Data. (2023, March 27). FOLIO - Open Source Library Management System: Index Data. https://www.index-data.com/folio/

  • Kortick, Y. (2021). Trends in physical and electronic resource usage in U.S. Academic libraries. Ex Libris. Available at: https://exlibrisgroup.com/blog/changing-priorities-trends-in-physical-and-electronic-resource-usage-in-us-academic-libraries/

  • Mukhopadhayay, P. (2002). Progress of library management software: An Indian scenario. Vidyasagar University Journal of Library and Information Science, 1-15. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/333967026.pdf

  • Murray, P. (2023). Welcome to the folio wiki. The Open Library Foundation: FOLIO project. Available at: https://wiki.folio.org/

  • Okapi-FOLIO community (2023). Okapi guide and reference. Available at: https://github.com/folio-org/okapi/blob/master/doc/guide.md

  • Pradhan, P. (2019). Library Services Platform (LSP): An overview. INFLIBNET, 26(1), 12-22. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333816851_Library_Services_Platform_LSP_An_Overview Sources from FOLIO:

  • FOLIO Community (2023). FOLIO: Open Source Library Services Platform. FOLIO: The Future of Libraries Is Open. Available at: https://www.folio.org/

  • FOLIO Community (2023). All guidelines. FOLIO UX docs. UX prototypes, guidelines and assets. FOLIO UX. Available at: https://ux.folio.org/docs/all-guidelines/

  • FOLIO Community (2023). FOLIO Documentation. Available at: https://docs.folio.org/docs/

  • FOLIO Community (2023). FAQ · FOLIO UX docs · UX prototypes, guidelines and assets. FOLIO UX. Available at: https://ux.folio.org/docs/faq/

  • FOLIO Community (2023). FOLIO Developers: Reference - API documentation. The Open Library Foundation: FOLIO Project. Available at: https://dev.folio.org/reference/api/

  • FOLIO Community (2023). FOLIO Developers: Developer and system administrator tutorials. Available at: https://dev.folio.org/tutorials/


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PDF Views: 9




  • FOLIO: The Future of Library is Open

Abstract Views: 214  |  PDF Views: 9

Authors

Satbir Chauhan
Executive - Library, Ashoka University, Sonipat – 131029, Haryana, India
K. Kandhasamy
Doctoral Researcher, Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Art, University of Delhi, New Delhi – 110007, Delhi, India
N. Sakthivel
Library Assistant, Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai - 410206, Maharashtra, India

Abstract


Ranganathan's 5th law of library science says that libraries never become stagnant. While financial constraints are a common challenge for libraries, user expectations are continuously growing. To meet and exceed user expectations, libraries must embrace new technologies and software solutions. Open-source options have proven to be particularly beneficial for nonprofit organizations like libraries. Looking to the future, as libraries continue their digital transformation, many library automation software, especially traditional library management systems (ILS), are becoming outdated. In response to the diverse requirements of libraries, the architecture of Library Services Platforms (LSP) offers enhanced flexibility and functionality within a unified platform. Among the various LSPs that have emerged over the past seven years, FOLIO has demonstrated rapid development and progress. Upon exploration, it becomes evident that FOLIO's developers have prioritized a micro-services architecture, emphasizing apps over modules. This approach provides a comprehensive multitasking app environment, a user-friendly Dashboard for quick access, efficient data management, and much more. The user-friendly nature of FOLIO sets it apart from traditional Integrated Library Systems (ILS), which may lack such ease of use. Despite its abundant features, FOLIO is still relatively under-recognized in India. This paper aims to discuss the distinctive features of FOLIO, it’s potential as a comprehensive solution for libraries, and whether it can effectively replace traditional ILS systems.

Keywords


Future of Librariesi Is Open (FOLIO), Future of Libraries is Open (FOLIO), Integrated Library System (ILS), Library Services Platform (LSP), Open-Source Software (OSS).

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.17821/srels%2F2023%2Fv60i3%2F171035