The newest issue of the Code4Lib Journal has been released and there is an article that I just have to point out to all of you.

‡biblios: An Open Source Cataloging Editor
by Chris Catalfo, LibLime

‡biblios is an open source cataloging editor designed to allow libraries to perform copy and original cataloging in a web based environment. ‡biblios allows users to search for, edit, and save bibliographic records in the MARC21/MARCXML formats. It also allows users to send records directly to integrated library systems such as the Koha ILS. Where most MARC editors are part of an integrated library system (and therefore require logging in), ‡biblios allows users to catalog with an open source standalone system available anywhere via a web browser. Unlike other cataloging editors, it offers an attractive user interface for searching, saving and editing cataloging records. This article describes the system architecture and design of ‡biblios.

I have been working very closely with Chris on this project for what seems like forever, so I’m happy to see this article and to hear what everyone things about the new ‡biblios.net service.

It’s that time of year again! I got to attend my first Code4Lib conference because of this awesome scholarship so I always like to promote it so that others can benefit.

There are two scholarships for the 2009 Code4Lib conference.

• Brown University / Code4lib Gender Diversity Scholarship ($1000)
• Brown University/ Code4lib Minority Scholarship ($1000)

Learn more here.

Villanova and the people who work on VuFind were awarded one of the Mellon Awards for Technology Collaboration.

The Mellon Awards honor not‐for‐profit organizations for leadership in the collaborative development of open source software tools with application to scholarship in the arts and humanities, as well as cultural-heritage not‐for‐profit activities.

See the full press release and remember to support open source in your libraries!!!

This from CNET:

Open source creates better software, Whitehurst argues, so why not expand its value by expanding its community?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology apparently has heard the call, opting to open-source its Mobile Web project, as reported by ReadWriteWeb. The code “offers a staff and student directory, a campus map, the shuttle schedule, an event calendar, class announcements for students, emergency information, and status updates for many of MIT’s tech services.”

This makes me wish I was working in an academic institution so I had an excuse to play with this code. Check it out and let me know how it works!! Sounds like a great development in the world of open source for colleges and universities.

From the news blog of the Northeast Kansas Library System:

The Northeast Kansas Library System is hosting a “Kansas Koha Interest Group Day” conference for libraries interested in the Koha open source integrated library system next Wednesday, December 10th at the NEKLS system office in Lawrence, Kansas. The conference is open to anyone interested in open source ILS systems, and Koha in particular.