Bury College chooses Koha open source library management system, hosted and supported by Open Fifth
Last updated on: 21st April 2026| 21st April 2026 | Open Fifth
Press Release
Bury College has chosen Koha as its new library management system, to replace the previous system. Open Fifth has implemented the new system and will provide ongoing hosting and support services to Bury College to ensure its success in supporting these collections into the future.
Koha library management system
With over 18,000 systems worldwide, Koha is one of the most widely used library management systems (LMS) in the world. Koha is entirely web-based for both staff and public functions. This helps make the system light, easy to use, easy to deploy and easy to manage.
Koha’s impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloguing, acquisitions, serials, course reserves, user management, interlibrary loans, and more.
Karen Hardman, Librarian at Bury College, shared:
“We are proud to announce our move to Koha which marks a significant step in the college’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the student experience through modern, accessible technology. By moving away from restrictive proprietary software, Bury College gains the flexibility of a community-driven platform while eliminating traditional licensing fees.
The new system introduces a fully web-based interface that allows students and staff to manage their library accounts and search the catalogue from any device. A key highlight of the transition is the vastly improved Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC).
The search functionality is incredibly intuitive, mirroring the modern web experiences students are used to. It makes discovering our physical collections and digital resources faster and more efficient than ever before, ensuring our learners can find exactly what they need to succeed in their studies.
We would like to thank Open Fifth and their team who have supported and advised us throughout this transition.“
Sam Goldsmith, Business Development Manager at Open Fifth, shared:
“I am delighted as Bury College joins the large and growing Koha community. The college’s varied and extensive online and physical resources can now be accessed by students and staff in their Koha LRC catalogue. Koha supported by Open Fifth will encourage new innovations and integrations to support Bury college’s continued collection growth and improve services to students and staff.
Open Fifth is thrilled to supply the Koha library solution to Bury College.“
About Open Fifth
Open Fifth Limited (formerly PTFS Europe Limited) is a UK-based company with the vision to make technology easy for libraries. We focus on enabling library users through high-quality, open source software solutions. Our way of working is characterised by listening, finding solutions, reliable delivery, and above all open communication. Our highly skilled team has a friendly and approachable style in delivering our quality implementation and support services.
We proudly work with customers across all sectors, including public, academic, health, governmental, museum, law and special libraries, and archives. The reason so many customers continue to choose us is that we solve problems, we don’t sell software. When libraries join us as a customer, they are gaining the expertise of our developers, trainers, data migration experts, and experienced account managers to support them throughout the journey. As an ISO 27001 certified company, you can also rely on the quality and integrity of the support we’re providing.
More information on Open Fifth: www.openfifth.co.uk.
Any questions? Please contact Sam Goldsmith, [email protected]
About Bury College
Bury College is a Further Education college located in Greater Manchester. The college offers a broad range of programmes, from Foundation Learning, A Levels, T Levels and Vocational Programmes as well as Higher Education and Apprenticeships. The three libraries available across the campus serve over 5,000 learners each year. They are committed to providing students with first-class facilities and innovative learning opportunities.
KohaCon 2026 – Open Fifth bursary places
