Evergreen Integrated Library System

Evergreen is a highly scalable, open-source integrated library system (ILS) originally developed by the Georgia Public Library Service in 2006 to support the PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) consortium. It was designed to handle the heavy transaction loads of hundreds of libraries sharing a single catalog, making it a pioneer in consortium-based library software.

As an open-source project, there is no single 'manufacturer' in the traditional sense; rather, the software is developed and maintained by a global community of developers, libraries, and support vendors. The brand and codebase are managed under the umbrella of the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC), ensuring that the software remains free and accessible to all users forever.

Ownership of the project is decentralized. While the original development was funded by the state of Georgia, the intellectual property is now stewarded by the Evergreen Community Development Foundation in conjunction with the SFC. Various commercial entities, such as Equinox Open Library Initiative, provide specialized support and hosting services, but the core product remains a community-governed public good.