News & Events

Kuali Foundation has announced the release of Kuali OLE 0.3, a milestone in open-source software development that addresses the functional needs of higher education research libraries for managing information resources. Kuali Open Library Environment is a robust, enterprise-wide, easy-to-use system for selecting, acquiring and describing library information resources that link with enterprise business processes and value-added external resources.

"Indiana University recognizes the critical importance of cross-institutional collaboration on the development of this system," said IU Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries Brenda L. Johnson. "Kuali OLE will enable research libraries to manage and provide access to the wide range of resources -- print, digital, licensed and local -- they now 'collect.' With the rapid pace of change that libraries are experiencing, this community source software will allow libraries to adapt their operations efficiently and effectively."

Indiana University has been instrumental in the development of the Kuali Foundation and Kuali OLE through its support of a collaborative, open-source environment to deliver enterprise systems for higher education. IU faculty and staff have made significant contributions to Kuali OLE, and IU Vice President for Information Technology Brad Wheeler is currently the board president of the Kuali Foundation.

Kuali OLE 0.3 release is a stepping stone toward the full product that is on track for 2013 implementation. As well as select and acquire functions with auditing trails for all purchases, the 0.3 step release highlights three potentially transformational developments:

• Kuali OLE 0.3 provides a flexible document store as a primary storage component for all library managed resources with faceted searching of all owned content.

• Kuali OLE 0.3 enables locally configurable workflows for library supply chain automation and management.

• Kuali OLE 0.3 provides a framework for potential enterprise integration utilizing Kuali Rice enterprise middleware.

This release also gives potential users access to a cloud-based test-drive installation and driver's manual for understanding and demonstrating the new software. Access is available here.

"This release is a key piece of the puzzle that is building the foundation for a more holistic approach to library information system management that meets the functional needs of research libraries," said Kuali OLE Project Board Co-Chair Deborah Jakubs, Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs at Duke University. "I am very pleased with the deep collaborative efforts demonstrated by the hundreds of librarians and staff who have contributed to the Kuali OLE project. They are working in conjunction with the other Kuali software projects to provide solutions for higher education that reach well beyond libraries."

Kuali OLE Release 0.3 is the result of collaboration of multiple higher education research libraries and commercial affiliates including Indiana University, Duke University, Lehigh University, North Carolina State University, University of Chicago, University of Florida, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and HTC Global Services. Kuali OLE 0.3 has received generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

All software and materials delivered by the Kuali Foundation are available under the Educational Community License and can be adopted by colleges and universities without licensing fees.

The Kuali OLE Project Team is focusing its efforts on its "Year Two" roadmap, available here, for extending the functionality of Kuali OLE. Release 0.6, expected in March 2012, will focus on "Deliver and Manage User Relationships" and "Manage Entity Relationships," which will provide for circulation functionality and local contextual information for management of library information resources.

These first two releases are the initial components of a larger project to build an enterprise-wide library management system.

"We are pleased to see the Kuali OLE project's successful delivery of release 0.3," said Kuali Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Foutty. "This is the start of a major effort to deliver full library information system management functionality and will complement other projects that are delivering major components of a full set of enterprise systems, including Kuali Financial System, Kuali Student, Kuali Coeus for Research Administration and Kuali People Management for the Enterprise."

For more information on Kuali OLE 0.3, or to download version 0.3, go to Kuali OLE or take a "test drive" at Test Drive Kuali OLE.

The Kuali Foundation is a nonprofit organization that coordinates the efforts of colleges and universities to develop and sustain administrative software to meet the needs of all sizes of higher education institutions, from small colleges to large research universities. The Kuali Foundation began in 2004 as a cooperative effort among partners and a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop an open-source financial system. Success with the Kuali Financial System led to additional pooled investment projects, including Kuali Coeus for Research Administration, Kuali Student, Kuali Rice, Kuali Open Library Environment, Kuali People Management for the Enterprise, Kuali Mobility Enterprise and Kuali Ready, with coordination by the independent, not-for-profit Kuali Foundation. The software developed by Kuali projects is available, without fee, for anyone to use or modify under the Educational Community License.