Software Review: Koha

From a mission perspective it seems natural for libraries (as organizations committed to making information accessable) to adopt the open source software model, but the cost of conversion is a real barrier for non-profit organizations. Koha delivers all the services required from an ILS and many other features that vendors do not. In terms of quality the open source model appears to have a firm advantage over vendor options because it is designed with its users in mind. The principle reason for rejecting a proposal to implement the software is the steep cost of installation, data conversion and training in terms of time, labor and financial resources. For this reason, I would recommend that a library transfer its systems to Koha if and only if its management and support staff are committed to a demanding – if potentially rewarding – project.

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