IAML UK & Ireland chooses Koha open source library management system, hosted and supported by PTFS Europe.

12th November 2021 | PTFS-Europe

The UK & Ireland Branch of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres – IAML (UK & Irl) – has chosen Koha as its new Library Management System, to replace the previous Mikromarc system. Locating performance materials is a major challenge for many orchestras and choirs.  IAML (UK & Irl) has taken a major step forward in helping such groups, with the launch of the refreshed Encore21 service.

Encore21 contains information about the library locations of about 92,844 borrowable sets of orchestral and vocal music. The catalogue data is in MARC21, the international library record exchange format. There are 102 participating libraries, of which approximately two thirds are public libraries. The catalogue is used typically by libraries seeking to borrow material from other libraries using the well-established inter-library loan service (ILL), as well as by musical groups such as choirs, orchestras and bands.

PTFS Europe implemented the new system and will provide on-going hosting and support services to IAML (UK & Irl) to ensure its success in supporting these collections into the future.

Koha Library Management System

The Koha library management system is a cloud application providing staff and student users with browser access to the system. The system comprises core modules: acquisitions with EDI, circulation, cataloguing, serials and comprehensive reporting functionality. The Koha online catalogue offers end users excellent search capabilities together with a full range of personalisation services.  Koha’s depth of functionality continues to develop to meet the changing needs of libraries and their users.

Caroline Shaw, Chair of the Encore21 Migration Project Working Group, said

We are very pleased that the Encore21 service is entering its next phase with a Koha implementation. From early on in the project, Koha looked like the best solution for IAML (UK & Irl) and Encore21, and Encore21 users have confirmed that with their very positive feedback. We are happy with how PTFS Europe have been able to configure Koha for our needs, and we are excited about possibilities for the future.

  Jonathan Field, Managing Director at PTFS Europe, said

We are delighted that IAML (UK & Irl) has chosen Koha and we welcome them as new customers. Koha has a number of features which make it uniquely suitable for libraries specialising in music. IAML (UK & Irl) join a growing number of music and arts related libraries that have turned to open source as their preferred solution. They also join our growing base of Koha customers from across the UK and Europe who are hosted and supported by PTFS Europe.

About PTFS Europe 

PTFS Europe provides a wide range of products for the library market. These include the open source library systems Koha and FOLIO, Aspen Discovery, RT: request tracker for enquiry management, Coral for electronic resource management, Metabase business analytics and the Knowvation digital repository.  An ISO27001 company, PTFS Europe, provides the full range of services needed to implement, host, and support these products.

Any questions?  Please contact Jonathan Field, [email protected]

About IAML (UK & Irl)

IAML (UK & Irl) is the UK Branch of the International Association of Music Libraries, with members working in public, academic and national libraries, or perhaps considering a career in music librarianship – or simply sharing the aspirations of the organisation to support music provision nationwide, whilst also benefiting from the networking and shared knowledge of our international parent organisation.

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