EvolvePlus Blog

EvolvePlus offers libraries a range of professional services for the Amlib library management system that save time and automate regular tasks. Whether your library is looking to optimise its processes or migrate Amlib data to another system, our staff have extensive experience across all aspects of Amlib.

We offer cloud hosting, software customisation, project planning, data migration, consultancy and managed admin services for the Amlib LMS. Our services include:

• Amlib Managed Admin Services & Support
• Amlib Data Conversion & Extraction
• Amlib Software Customisation
• Amlib Cloud Hosting & Archiving
• Amlib Project Planning
• Fully Featured Discovery Layer to Replace Amlib WebOPAC

Some of our most recent projects have included SMS integration for Patron Notices, delivery of web dashboards & reports that combine Amlib data with information from other sources (e.g. people counters), and troubleshooting SIP2 integration. 

Statistical data from the EvolvePlus Wireless People Counter solution has recently been integrated into the SirsiDynix BLUEcloud Analytics platform.

The integration enables libraries to combine their people counter statistics with other SirsiDynix library data - for example loans, membership, etc. - and display this within unified web dashboards and reports.

RefPlus is an intuitive web based Reference and Request Tracking application that provides rapid information discovery and simple processes for capturing requests and responding with automated notifications.

With the release of version 10, RefPlus is even easier to use with a range of new features and enhancements:

• New Advanced Search where you can search by any field (built-in or custom fields), save searches and have search results displayed in a separate list.

We've been busy collaborating with our customers to develop new features and enhancements to BookingsPlus - our cloud based bookings platform for rooms, events, public access PCs, game consoles and more.

Some of the latest enhancements include:

Room Bookings - Recurrent Bookings in Public View

EvolvePlus is proud to announce the launch of SurveyPlus - a fully managed community survey web app that automates online surveys & questionnaires for your community, library members, visitors, ratepayers, staff, job applicants and more.

Importantly, SurveyPlus is delivered via our Australian cloud infrastructure, to ensure the privacy and security of your community's survey results and assist with compliance to your statutory obligations.

Some examples of how SurveyPlus can be used:

NSW Public Libraries Association (NSWPLA) will be holding its annual SWITCH Conference from 22-24 November at the Ulladulla Civic Centre.

EvolvePlus is proud to support the event and will be have an exciting range of technology solutions & services on display for libraries including:

• Indoor and Outdoor People Counter Solutions 
• Wireless People Counter solutions with 3G Connectivity
• USB and Display Footfall Counters
• Overhead Thermal People Counters
• Sensify Online Community Platform with Mobile Apps
• BookingsPlus PC, Event and Room Booking Management
• Netloan PC Bookings and Print Management
• RefPlus Customer Request & Reference Tracking
• Web Reporting & Dashboards (Combining Data from People Counters, ILS and more)
• My Reading List Online Summer Reading Program
• VuFind Discovery Layer
• ILS Data Migration

Come and visit us at stand 33 for a closer look or to take any of our solutions for a test drive!

We are delighted to announce the launch of the EvolvePlus Online Store, which offers the opportunity to purchase from our comprehensive range of People Counter solutions. You can choose from our Wireless People Counters, USB Counters, LCD Display Counters as well as our new Overhead Thermal People Counter solution from our secure store with convenience of purchasing at a time that suits you best from our 24/7 site.

As part of the launch of our EvolvePlus Online Store we have also revamped our entire site and optimised it for access from all types of devices - whether you are using a desktop, tablet or smartphone. We've also simplified the navigation to make it easier to locate products as well as expand the information available on the site.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new Online Store and fresh new website!

Our new Web Dashboards for Amlib (and other library systems) lets you visualise, track and measure real time your Amlib library data. Not only do these dashboards look great, they provide a familiar way for staff to access and interpret library data. Importantly the dashboards are optimised to run on any device and can be embedded with other intranet web pages. 

Using the EvolvePlus Report and Dashboard builder you can easily create stylish web based dashboards with reports, charts and statistics.  There’s no need to schedule Amlib reports or install Amlib to view the dashboards - we provide real-time information directly to your web browser running on your PC, Mac or tablet (e.g. iPad).

We can also combine data from different sources, such as Amlib, Sensify, VuFind and EvolvePlus People Counters and present as a single integrated Dashboard.

Pokémon Go has become a global phenomenon since its release earlier this month. It is a augmented reality game for iOS and Android devices using the GPS and camera of a smartphone. Players capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on their smartphone as though in the real world.

Business News Daily have written an article that describes how businesses can "capitalise on the craze by attract local players to your location", whilst The Age reports that "soon any business may be able to buy an in-game landmark, pretty much guaranteeing foot traffic for as long as the Pokémon Go craze lasts".

If your organisation is thinking about using Pokémon Go as a strategy to attract people to your location, then the EvolvePlus People Counters provide the ideal solution to accurately measure the success of your campaign and to visualise any visitor traffic increase. 

EvolvePlus will be exhibiting at the ALIA 2016 National Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre from Tuesday 30 August to Thursday 1 September 2016.

Discover the exciting range of technology solutions & services we offer to libraries including:

• Wireless Network, USB and Display People Counters (Indoor and Outdoor Models)
• Sensify Online Community Platform
• Brushtail PC, Event and Room Booking Management
• Netloan PC Bookings and Print Management
• RefPlus Customer Request & Reference Tracking
• Web Reporting & Dashboards (Combining Data from People Counters, ILS and more)
• My Reading List Online Summer Reading Program
• VuFind Discovery Layer
• ILS Data Migration

Come and visit us at booth 67 for a closer look or to take any of our solutions for a test drive!

Seasons Greetings!

We appreciate the continued support of our valued clients during 2015, and we look forward to being of service to you throughout 2016.

It has been exciting to see the continued growth in the number of organisations choosing our EvolvePlus People Counter Solutions - ranging from our wireless people counters through to our USB, display and micro people counters with web based statistical analysis. Stay tuned to our blog for exciting new People Counter, Library Technology and Online Community solutions that we will be releasing in 2016!

EvolvePlus is pleased to announce that it's range of Wireless People Counters are now available for New Zealand. Whether for a Retail Shop in Auckland reporting on customer footfall by hour, a Wellington library identifying patron usage across branches or a South Island University determining room usage we offer affordable People Counting Solutions to suit Shopping Centres, Information Centres, Sporting Clubs, Art Galleries and more.

The beauty of the system is in its simplicity - the battery powered and completely wireless devices allow the units to be installed almost anywhere. The People Counter range include:

"PT Series" People Counters

EvolvePlus has released VuFind SIP2 integration for our LMS drivers - providing a seamless experience for patrons to place holds, cancel holds, renew items all within the VuFind application.

The benefit of incorporating the above patron functionality is libraries no longer need to link from VuFind to their original LMS OPAC for processing reservations and renewals.  We have developed a separate SIP2Gateway web application that provides easier integration across library systems supporting the SIP2 standard without having to incorporate the SIP2 functions for every separate VuFind LMS driver.

For Amlib library customers it means that the VuFind Managed Services offered by EvolvePlus can completely replace the existing NetOpacs and OpenOPAC modules - providing library patrons with an enhanced discovery layer experience with an optimised mobile phone interface, whilst library staff can continue to use Amlib for cataloguing & circulation. Note: Amlib customers will require a valid license for the Amlib SIP2 Manager module to be able take advantage of the VuFind SIP2 connectivity.

The VuFind Discovery Layer enables libraries to provide patrons with a unique web 2.0 experience with a mobile phone interface often missing in traditional library system OPACs.

EvolvePlus develops a range of LMS drivers for real-time integration between VuFind and the library's LMS. One of the popular integrations  we have developed is between the Amlib library system and VuFind.

Based on customer feedback we continue to enhance the Amlib LMS driver for VuFind, and have recently released the following new features:

ResearchPlus, the web based Research Request Tracking & Knowledge Management solution provided by EvolvePlus, now supports two way email integration.

ResearchPlus streamlines your organisation's request tracking by turning email conversations into organised request/helpdesk tickets.

Automatically Route Incoming Emails into Request Tickets

Version 2.2 features significant enhancements to the EvolvePlus ILS product with a range of new functionality and configuration options that make EvolvePlus ILS even easier to use.

Highlights of the version 2.2 enhancements and include:

Global Enhancements:

Enhanced Main Screen (Search Screen when first log into Evolve):

• Can scroll "search results", with the "top menu" and "search options" on left remain on screen
• New Export and Print option for search results
• Improved User Interface
• Improved sorting of search results
• Add status filters to Holding search (e.g. Overdue items)

Record Details: each tab displays number of records (e.g. number of messages for patron)

Preferences for each module will display in a separate section of the configuration (e.g. Catalogue preferences now grouped together)

New "Action Review" screen - which shows patron memos due for action, reserves on shelf,
Hold shelf removes,


Authority Module

Can link authorities across different tags (e.g. author 100 marc tag authority can be shared for a 710 tag - so that it exists as a single authority)

Can create groups of authorities (e.g. configure 100 and 710 tags as an Author authority group)

Link Authorities ( see / see also equivalent )


Patron Module

Add "due date" to memos

Display patron photo (where photos are store in a web folder using a common "key" as the image name)

Bulk Patron Delete functionality:

EvolvePlus will be exhibiting at ALIA Information Online 2013 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th February 2013.

Visit us at Stand 79 to take a look at our extensive range of library technology products that we have available for 2013 including:

• VuFind Open Source Discovery Layer and EvolvePlus Discovery Gateway
• EvolvePlus ILS (Integrated Library System)
• RF People Counters with Remote Data Viewing
• ResearchPlus Knowledge and Request Management
• Online Reading Record

ALIA Information Online is the premier event for information professionals in the Asia Pacific region and this conference features the theme of "be different. do different.".

We hope to see you in Brisbane!

EvolvePlus offers highly-accurate people counting solutions to gather valuable customer statistics - ranging from counting the volume of patrons entering the library, through to counting the number visitors entering the Council visitor centre.

The beauty of the system is in its simplicity - the battery powered and completely wireless units means no wires and allow the units to more installed almost anywhere since it doesn't need to be plugged into an electrical power point!

The RF Counters wireless transmit counting data to the Sensor Network Gateway with the web based statistical software displaying data from each location across different time intervals in table or graph format.

For more information visit our People Counters product page.

EvolvePlus has launched the VuFind Manager application for the VuFind Discovery Layer. The VuFind Manager application is an essential tool to assist authorised administrators to review patron comments and tags, and can be used to locate and remove offensive tags or comments from the VuFind Discovery Layer. It also enables authorised library staff to troubleshoot the VuFind account logins and the corresponding patron credentials from the source ILS.

Key features of the VuFind Discovery Layer are the integrated social features for Patrons to interact with the library catalogue, including:

• Patrons add tags to Bibliographic records (folksonomy of descriptors or subject headings)
• Patrons add comments to Bibliographic records (incorporating patron reviews and notes)

These tags and comments then become visible to the entire community using the VuFind Discovery Layer. The VuFind Manager application developed by EvolvePlus enables libraries to ensure that offensive tags or comments can be removed from their discovery layer.

The latest version of the VuFind Discovery has been released with a range of significant enhancements:

• New book bag feature for shopping-cart-style bulk actions (save, email, export multiple records)
• New recommendation module plug-ins (visual timelines and Google Maps integration)
• Enhanced RSS feeds that allow VuFind results to be easily shared with external services
• Improved Syndetics integration

A key feature of the release is the new EvolvePlus theme designed using JQuery components and providing a fresh user interface experience for Patrons.

Customers with a valid EvolvePlus support agreement can Contact EvolvePlus to arrange for the installation/upgrade to Version 1.3 at no additional charge together with the new EvolvePlus theme.