Blog & News

Bury College chooses Koha open source library management system, hosted and supported by Open Fifth

KohaCon 2026 – Open Fifth bursary places

Public Libraries

Public and Local Authority Libraries

Fiona

Fiona Borthwick

Fiona possesses decades of experience in public libraries, from working as a Library Assistant at 15 through to completing her CILIP Chartership. Fiona looks after most of our public library customers, as well as those based around Scotland.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Koha LMS and Aspen Discovery for public libraries – Meet our public and local authority library account manager Fiona Borthwick. In this webinar Fiona provides an overview of how the Koha LMS and Aspen Discovery software combo has been used to reshape services in public libraries throughout the UK and overseas. Find out how Koha could support your library’s service, simplify staff workflows, and how the discovery and engagement interface enhances patron access to your library’s resources, campaigns and events.

We proudly work with public and local authority libraries throughout the UK, providing implementation, support and training for open source library software.

We believe that there is a natural alignment between the values of public libraries and open source software, including community collaboration and knowledge sharing, transparency, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and equal access to information.

Public libraries choose Koha library management system and Aspen Discovery software because they are comprehensive, engaging and user-focused solutions that meet their needs with a suite of available integrations. By using open source software, not proprietary, libraries don’t pay expensive licensing fees or face vendor lock-in and also benefit from a global open source development and user community.

At Open Fifth, our focus is on delivering high-quality implementation, training and support for libraries and building lasting relationships with the customers we serve.

Case study – Knowsley Public Libraries.

Information Security

Effective, compliant and proactive information security management and cyber resilience are fundamental for everything we do here at Open Fifth. We hold certifications to ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus, and Cyber Essentials. Read more about our information security.

Relevant Resources

Koha LMS and Aspen Discovery for public libraries

East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture partners with PTFS Europe to give residents better access to books and e-content

What’s on our mind: Data migration to Koha library management system

What is open source? The essentials series

Products

Koha Library Management System Logo
Koha

The world’s first free and open source library management system. Fully featured and scalable, used worldwide.

Aspen Discovery logo icon
Aspen Discovery

The next generation library discovery platform providing intuitive and engaging access to physical, digital, and archival collections.

AtoM logo
AtoM (Access to Memory)

An open source, web-based app which allows institutions to provide and manage public access to their archival holdings.

Metabase logo icon
Metabase

A web-based business intelligence and analytics system, great for enhanced reporting.

Some of our public library customers…

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Cheshire Education Library Service

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East Dunbartonshire Council

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Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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Newcastle City Council

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Sefton Council

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