Friday, September 29, 2006

Avanti Library Systems released Avanti MicroLCS 1.0.1




Avanti Library Systems started in 1998 to develop a simple low cost open source library system for small libraries. This system gradually evolved into Avanti MicroLCS today. MicroLCS is an easy to use, powerful and configurable open source OPAC and cataloging system available. Though it is targeted for small libraries, its flexible and scalable architecture allows it to be used in libraries of any type. For both Windows and Unix platform.

Key Features

  • Clean consistent and simple user interfaces that are easy to use.
  • Flexible configuration. Title and holdings databases are 100 per cent configurable. No hard coded fields and not restricted to MARC record format. Any and all fields fully indexable.
  • Platform independent. Runs on any computer that supports Java.
  • Advanced searching capabilities support full boolean searching (with AND OR and NOT operators), nested searches and searching on all indexed fields.
  • Powerful and easy to learn search syntax available in a single search mode -- no Basic/Advanced search dichotomy.
  • Self contained. No third party software needed to install and configure.
  • Complete source code is available.
  • Small footprint. Entire system can fit on a floppy disk.
  • Client-server architecture allows a networked deployment.
  • Supports collections of up to 16 million titles and items.
  • Text based command line client available as well as a graphical user interface.
At version 1.0 beta 4 MicroLCS is an OPAC only. It does not yet support circulation functions. These are currently in development. Circulation will appear in the full 1.0 production release.


Download link for Windows: http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/microlcs-1.0.1.zip

Download link for Unix: http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/microlcs-1.0.1.tz

User Guide: http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/manual/

For Source Code:http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/microlcs-1.0.1.dev.tar

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In Sunday's New York Times Magazine, Kevin Kelly wrote about the contemporary quest for the "universal library" -- a collection of all the works ever created -- now made possible through the use of digital media. He writes:

"From the days of Sumerian clay tablets till now, humans have 'published' at least 32 million books, 750 million articles and essays, 25 million songs, 500 million images, 500,000 movies, 3 million videos, TV shows and short films and 100 billion public Web pages. All this material is currently contained in all the libraries and archives of the world.

"When fully digitized, the whole lot could be compressed (at current technological rates) onto 50 petabyte hard disks. Today you need a building about the size of a small-town library to house 50 petabytes. With tomorrow's technology, it will all fit onto your iPod. When that happens, the library of all libraries will ride in your purse or wallet -- if it doesn't plug directly into your brain with thin white cords. Some people alive today are surely hoping that they die before such things happen, and others, mostly the young, want to know what's taking so long. (Could we get it up and running by next week? They have a history project due.)"