License

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CC BY SA

Available from http://bzr.coffeecode.net/2012/PGCon/PostgreSQL_in_Libraries.html and horrible PDF

Many of the generalizations contained in this presentation are based on a methodologically flawed, self-selecting survey of Evergreen library system administrators. Others simply reflect the author’s own biases.

Evergreen library system

Mission statement

Evergreen: highly-scalable software for libraries that helps library patrons find library materials, and helps libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials, no matter how large or complex the libraries.

Open-source (GPL2+): http://evergreen-ils.org

If "Libraries are the beating heart of a (community|university)", PostgreSQL is in turn at the heart of libraries that run Evergreen.

  • We go a bit beyond the canonical relational example of a library database
    • Current install creates 355 tables, 96 views, > 50 functions in 23 different schemas
    • Handles hold requests, reservations, purchases and fund management, reporting, library information, staff permissions, and more…

Who is Dan Scott?

Systems Librarian at the J.N. Desmarais Library, Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario (a founding member of Project Conifer)

  • Employed by IBM Canada from 1998-2006 in various positions including technical writer, support, development, and product planner
  • All for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows - with a focus on Linux and open source
  • Co-author of Apache Derby: Off to the Races media/apache_derby.jpg
  • Core Evergreen developer since 2007
  • Still feel like a PostgreSQL n00b

Evergreen library adoption (2011)

media/evergreen_libraries_2011_namerica.png
media/evergreen_libraries_2011_eurasia.png

GPLS Pines

media/pines.png

http://www.georgialibraries.org/public/pines.php

  • The birthplace of Evergreen (started 2004, 1.0 in 2006)
  • 275 libraries on a single system in