Notre Dame de Namur University’s commitment to thoughtful, collaborative uses of technology reached an international audience this fall as NDNU Librarian Rachel Paprocki participated in WOLFcon 2026 in Prague, Czechia.
Held August 31–September 3 at the Prague University of Economics and Business, WOLFcon is the annual conference of the Open Library Foundation (OLF). The international gathering brings together librarians, technologists, developers, service providers, vendors, and members of open-source communities to exchange ideas and advance technology developed for and by libraries.
At the conference, Fadlon presented alongside colleagues from the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) and EBSCO on the successful completion of the first cohort of SCELC FOLIO, a collaborative initiative that supported NDNU’s transition to the open-source FOLIO library services platform.
NDNU Joins the Open-Source Library Community
Over the past academic year, the NDNU Library participated in the first cohort of SCELC institutions implementing FOLIO, an open-source library services platform developed collaboratively by libraries, developers, and vendors.
NDNU joined Pacific Union College, Menlo College, and Western University of Health Sciences in the inaugural SCELC FOLIO cohort. Through the project, participating institutions worked collaboratively with SCELC and EBSCO to transition their library management systems to FOLIO.
For a smaller university library like NDNU, participation in a collaborative implementation provides an opportunity not only to adopt new technology, but also to contribute to a broader community working to make library technology more accessible and sustainable.
NDNU is now among approximately 400 libraries using FOLIO worldwide. By participating in SCELC’s first cohort, the University also helped establish a path that other academic libraries can follow as they consider joining the growing open-source community.
Technology Built Around Collaboration
NDNU’s participation reflects a broader approach to technology centered on collaboration, community, and thoughtful innovation.
Unlike traditional proprietary library management systems, open-source platforms make their underlying software available to a community that can contribute to its continued development. The Open Library Foundation was established in 2016 to support the availability, accessibility, and sustainability of open-source and open-access projects for libraries. Its model encourages librarians, technologists, designers, service providers, and vendors to pool expertise and resources to develop technology that serves the wider library community.
That philosophy aligns with NDNU’s interest in using technology mindfully and ethically while fostering community around information and innovation.
Bringing NDNU’s Experience to Prague
Presenting at WOLFcon gave NDNU an opportunity to share its experience with an international community of professionals working to shape the future of open-source library technology.
WOLFcon 2026 featured presentations, workshops, community conversations, and working meetings focused on the Open Library Foundation’s projects and broader issues surrounding open-source software.
NDNU’s involvement demonstrates that institutions of all sizes can participate meaningfully in collaborative technology initiatives. Through its work with SCELC, EBSCO, FOLIO, and the broader open-source community, the NDNU Library is helping advance an approach to technology that values shared expertise, accessibility, and collaboration.
Learn more:
WOLFcon and the Open Library Foundation