Public Information Network for Electronic Services
Encyclopedia
The Public Information Network for Electronic Services (or PINES) is the statewide library consortium and its online library catalog
of the Georgia Public Library Service. By February 2010, the catalog consisted of books from 282 library
facilities in over 140 counties across the state of Georgia
with a total item count of around 10 million, all of which are searchable by anyone with a PINES library card which can be obtained free of charge from any PINES-participating library.
The PINES system effectively turns most of the state of Georgia into one huge library. PINES cardholders are able to request that a copy of a specific book which is only available at a library out of town be shipped to their local library for them to check out - free of charge - all through the online catalog. In addition, PINES users can check out a book from one PINES-participating library and turn it into any other PINES-participating library without penalty. Another feature of the PINES network is that it allows members to place holds on items that they would like to check out from the library.
PINES developed the open-source software
, called Evergreen
, which it and other library consortia use to manage their online catalogs.
Library catalog
A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations...
of the Georgia Public Library Service. By February 2010, the catalog consisted of books from 282 library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
facilities in over 140 counties across the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
with a total item count of around 10 million, all of which are searchable by anyone with a PINES library card which can be obtained free of charge from any PINES-participating library.
The PINES system effectively turns most of the state of Georgia into one huge library. PINES cardholders are able to request that a copy of a specific book which is only available at a library out of town be shipped to their local library for them to check out - free of charge - all through the online catalog. In addition, PINES users can check out a book from one PINES-participating library and turn it into any other PINES-participating library without penalty. Another feature of the PINES network is that it allows members to place holds on items that they would like to check out from the library.
PINES developed the open-source software
Open-source software
Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
, called Evergreen
Evergreen (software)
Evergreen is an open source Integrated Library System , initially developed by the for Public Information Network for Electronic Services , a statewide resource-sharing consortium with over 270 member libraries....
, which it and other library consortia use to manage their online catalogs.