As pilot library, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt plays an essential role in developing the open-source software FOLIO. It comes with challenges and large challenges - and it is only possible because the entire team is committed.
Published on 29 July 2024
A written assignment or even the final thesis is due - in order to write these papers, you require information. The first port of call for valid and citable information is of course not Google or Wikipedia, but the library of the higher education institution itself. Specialised literature, e-books, scientific articles - all of these sources are available online and offline. The lending process is simple for students: With just a few clicks, the appropriate PDF file can be downloaded, or the physical book can be borrowed from the library helpdesk almost as quickly.
But what is involved in making the sources available and ensuring that the lending process runs smoothly? The students themselves usually only get to see the user catalogue, but the processes that run in the background are complex. Jens Renner has been the head of the THWS library since 2019. He plays a significant role in the open-source project FOLIO (short for Future of Libraries is Open). FOLIO is very different from the previous university library system - and is playing an increasingly important role at THWS.
The starting point for the innovative project was the old library system that has been in use since the 1980s - a real dinosaur by IT standards. E-books were not yet a concept when the system was introduced - and the commercial system is outdated, inflexible, non-transparent and not customised to individual needs. The FOLIO project aims to tackle these problems. It is an open-source software, which means that the code is publicly accessible and the software is developed in a decentralised and cooperative way. Different developers and programmers around the world are working on FOLIO.
How the system works
The tool is primarily used to control all business processes in a library. Making literature available is a good example. It involves an entire process that the end user does not see. E-books now make up around 96 per cent of the library stock - these have to be licensed and the licences managed. There are currently Excel tables containing data on the books and their licences. Instead of confusing Excel lists, a database is to be created in a separate portal in future. It will contain metadata, so information on the book, the author, the license, and much more. If you now want to find out why an e-book is not available, the library employee responsible is only two clicks away from the answer. This saves a lot of time compared to the current process.
Daring to take a risk
The library network consists of several university and higher education institution libraries as well as the Bavarian State Library. With about 1,000 employees, the latter is the largest library in Bavaria. However, they decided to introduce the system of an international commercial provider. The 19 universities of applied sciences and the ten universities of the Free State on the other hand all opted for FOLIO. Universities in particular usually have well over 100 positions available for the library. This contrasts with the THWS library with 24 employees, which - despite the relatively small team - has agreed to be the pilot library and is working together with two larger universities. Problems are to be solved during the pilot phase before the system is introduced in other libraries.
THWS' library is the smallest of the three pilot libraries. And yet, the THWS library still took charge of this project. "The library sector is often more consensus-orientated and that doesn't make innovation any easier," says Jens Renner. "On the other hand, the upheavals of digitalisation are unavoidable, which is why you have to be courageous and can't just start projects where success is certain from the outset."
Lisa Wolf is the project manager of the FOLIO project. She also oversees the FOLIO-area ERM (Electronic Resource Management) together with a colleague. She also believes that flexibility and questioning old structures and business processes is essential. It was also important to take a certain risk. "You just have to get startedand not lose yourself in 'what if…'," she says. For THWS, active involvement in the project also constitutes a major chance: THWS demonstrates courage and shows others that it dares take risks. Yet it had been estimated from the beginning that THWS would take a rather passive role; but the University rose to the new challenge.
"The team is the hero"
Renner especially praises the fantastic staff involved in the project. FOLIO was not an individual's achievement but a true team effort, he emphasises. It only worked because everyone was committed. The entire team has been included from the start. "The team is the hero," Renner says proudly. Each of the 24 library employees plays an active part and takes on tasks that must be completed in addition to the daily workload.
"We can show that you can tackle and realise a large project with just a few employees," says Lisa Wolf. FOLIO being an IT project after all would also help fulfil THWS' claim as a "Technical University of Applied Sciences". The project offers THWS an outstanding opportunity to make a significant contribution to the digitisation and modernisation of library systems worldwide.
Other higher education institutions can take THWS as an example and learn from their experiences. "We will be the first library at a higher education institution in Germany to use FOLIO live with all modules and connected to a large library network." Jens Renner. "It is remarkable. If you are looking for the top, just look for THWS and you'll know.." FOLIO has not yet been finalised but is still an ongoing project. It should be completed by 5 August 2024.
