Implementing an Open Source Catalog in a Consortial Environment

Abstract

The Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries (Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and United Lutheran Seminary) have had a joint library catalog between their three libraries for over 18 years. This has allowed for inter-campus lending, some shared purchases, and joint collection development. After using a shared instance of Voyager for 17 years, the Cluster knew it was time to upgrade. During the 2018–19 school year, the Cluster researched alternative software and ultimately selected the open source tool Koha, hosted by Equinox Open Library Initiative. This paper explains the reasons for change, the selection process, key decisions in the install process, lessons learned, and an overall assessment of the transition to Koha.