Evergreen is an open source Integrated Library System (ILS) originally developed by the Georgia Public Library Service for Public Information Network for Electronic Services (PINES).
It is consortial-quality library software to help library users find library materials and to help libraries manage, catalog, and circulate those materials.
The software was designed for large-scale deployment in large public library and state-wide consortium environments. However, Evergreen is also suitable to be used in single-branch libraries. There are hundreds of libraries that use Evergreen.
Key Features
- Circulation: for staff to check items in and out to patrons with a rich, flexible policy control:
- Handy patron-pleasing “preminders” (courtesy notices of due items) help books get back on time.
- At-a-glance patron summary prevents needless switching between multiple windows.
- Library-defined statistical categories for patrons.
- Annotate patron accounts with an unlimited number of notes.
- Flexible, customizable, template-based receipt printing.
- Cataloging: to add items to the library’s collection and input information, classifying and indexing those items:
- “Buckets” for grouping and sharing related items and bibliographic records.
- Record-merging preview.
- Batch creation of volumes/copies.
- Customizable label printing.
- Z39.50 client.
- Unlimited notes for annotating items.
- Online public access catalog (OPAC): a public catalog, or discovery interface, for patrons to find and request books, view their account information, and save book information in Evergreen “bookbags.”
- Integration with web browsers, news aggregators, and search engines through RSS feeds, unAPI, OpenSearch semantics, and multiple XML and library formats for exporting data.
- Sidebars for related subjects, authors, and series.
- Bookbags have static URLs and dynamic content.
- Statistical Reporting: flexible, point-and-click powerful reporting for retrieval of any statistical information stored in the database.
- SIP 2.0 support: for interaction with computer management software, self-check machines, and other applications.
- Open Scalable Request Framework – a stateful, decentralized service architecture that allows developers to create applications for Evergreen with a minimum of knowledge of its structure.
Website: evergreen-ils.org
Support: Documentation
Developer: Georgia Public Library Service, Public Information Network for Electronic Services
License: GNU General Public License v2.0

Evergreen is written in C and Perl. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn Perl with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Library Management Systems | |
|---|---|
| VuFind | Library resource portal designed and developed for libraries by libraries |
| Koha | Serves more than 1000 academic, public, and private libraries |
| Evergreen | Consortial-quality library software |
| Greenstone | Comprehensive digital library creation, management, and distribution |
| InvenioILS | Run a digital library or document repository |
| NewGenLib | Metadata content management software |
| Blacklight | Next-generation catalog |
| PMB | Library automation system based on PHP and MySQL |
| OpenBiblio | Library administration web interface |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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