Central Public Library of Conitsa now part of the openABEKT service

Inclusion in openABEKT will support library activities for adults and children alike especially in the area of digital services.

One of the most active libraries in the country, the Central Public Library of Conitsa  now operates with the National Documentation Centre’s new cloud service openABEKT. Library content can be openly searched by its members and the general public via http://konitsalib.openabekt.gr/. The library’s collection, with  9,602 titles, includes rare 17th, 18th and 19th century works on the cultural heritage of the area, 545 different journals as well as an impressive collection for younger readers.

Conitsa Library has been part of the ABEKT (Library Automation and Data Management System) community since 1996 and is one of the first public libraries to upgrade to openABEKT. The upgrade enables it to keep abreast of new trends and meet its users’ needs for modern online services, while, at the same time, reducing operational costs.

Using the openABEKT Content Migration Service, the library has applied a standard validation procedure, automatic correction and data enrichment to 9,602 titles, 18,170 documents and over 11,000 copies and editions. At the same time, its use ensures the improved quality of metadata and complete compatibility with UNIMAC (more details here). Users can browse freely through a host of publishers and authors making up the library’s collection using openABEKT’s multifaceted search filters. Works are available with full metadata, active topic links and automatic links to related entries.

The Conitsa Central Public Library has over 2,175 members and has already made over 500 loans using openABEKT. It has been serving the local community for 57 years, nounting exhibitions, organising talks and original activities such as lessons in Mistiotiki, a dialect of Central and Northern Greece. It offers a rich programme of educational activities designed for for children eg art, literature, local natural environment etc. More information can be found on the library’s official Facebook page.

openABEKT, the latest form of ABEKT, is an integrated library service (ILS), developed by EKT and since 1986 has provided services for over 2,670 libraries and other organisations, such as museums and archives. Using cloud technologies, openABEKT responds to the new trends and needs of libraries for advanced services with lower operational costs The new service provides a particularly user-friendly environment making it easily accessible even to inexperienced library personnel. The ultimate goal is to support the operation of libraries and the upgrading of their services.  At the same time, its use means significant savings of resources necessary for time-consuming library tasks and the operation and maintenance of library software.

openABEKT is mainly intended for libraries and content providers with increased needs for content management, services and complex workflows, such as documentation, standardisation and the management of library members, loans, statistics, references etc.