[Koha] Koha - The worlds first open source library systems ?

[Stuart A Yeates]

Hello Everyone

On the Koha homepage (http://www.koha.org/) I notice the claim that it is 
``the worlds first Free Open Source Library System,'' which is apparently true 
if `Library System' is defined to be `a computer system to run a _physical_ 
library.' There is, however, an earlier system, Greenstone, from the New 
Zealand Digital Library (www.nzdl.org) which solves (or attempts to solve) the 
problem of running a _digital_ library.

Greenstone, under active development at the Waikato University Computer 
Science Department. We have translated our interface into Maori (thanks to Te 
Taka Keegan for our Maori interface) and several other languages including 
Arabic (thanks to Malika Mahoui) (Arabic is challenging as it's reading order 
is right->left not left->right), so when you come to localise Koha into Maori 
you may wish to use our stuff as a stepping stone. It's all GPL, so you're 
free to take what you need (download greenstone from our web site at 
www.nzdl.org).

It's good to see other kiwis doing innovative library stuff. 

stuart 
[grad student]