IPSWICH, Mass. — July 29, 2025 — The University of Kansas Libraries (KU), a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), has signed an agreement to implement FOLIO, hosted and supported by EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). With this transition, the Libraries are embracing a flexible, open-source solution that supports academic research, discovery and innovation across the university’s programs and services.
The decision to adopt FOLIO reflects the Libraries’ commitment to modernizing their infrastructure with a platform that aligns with open standards and academic values. As one of the nation’s leading public research institutions, the University of Kansas is advancing a vision of openness, scalability and long-term sustainability.
FOLIO will be implemented across all three of KU’s major library divisions: the main campus libraries, KU’s Wheat Law Library, and the A.R. Dykes Library at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. This unified effort underscores the university’s commitment to developing modern, open infrastructure that addresses the distinct needs of each location. FOLIO’s multi-tenant architecture will enable the libraries to maintain local workflows and leadership structures while benefiting from a shared platform that simplifies operations across the system.
Carol E. Smith, Dean of KU Libraries, said, “Implementing FOLIO allows us to move away from traditional, siloed systems and toward a more open, interoperable infrastructure that better supports research, teaching and learning. We’re excited to partner with EBSCO and the FOLIO community to shape a future-ready library platform. I’m grateful to all involved with empowering a vital transformation of fundamental library functions.”
Implementing FOLIO allows us to move away from traditional, siloed systems and toward a more open, interoperable infrastructure that better supports research, teaching and learning. We’re excited to partner with EBSCO and the FOLIO community to shape a future-ready library platform.
Implementing FOLIO allows us to move away from traditional, siloed systems and toward a more open, interoperable infrastructure that better supports research, teaching and learning. We’re excited to partner with EBSCO and the FOLIO community to shape a future-ready library platform.
Peter Zeimet, EBSCO Director of SaaS Innovation, notes that the University of Kansas contributes to the growing number of academic libraries charting a path toward open infrastructure. “The University of Kansas brings both vision and leadership to the FOLIO community,” Zeimet said.” Their decision to implement FOLIO demonstrates how academic institutions can take control of their technology stack and design systems around evolving user needs—not vendor limitations.”
The University of Kansas joins a distinguished group of ARL institutions partnering with EBSCO to implement FOLIO. This growing coalition reflects a shared mission to advance interoperability, innovation and academic excellence in research library systems.
FOLIO’s flexible, open-source design is also being adopted by a wide range of libraries worldwide—proving to be a right-sized solution for institutions with diverse needs and missions.
About the University of Kansas Libraries
The largest library collection in the state of Kansas, at the state’s flagship institution, KU Libraries house 5.8 million items across six locations and host nearly half a million visits a year, advancing research, teaching and learning at the intersection of people and ideas. A leader in scholarly communication, KU Libraries-enabled Open Educational Resources save students an estimated $1.45 million annually, and in addition to negotiating read-and-publish agreements, host more than 50 open journals and nearly 30,000 items in KU ScholarWorks. KU Libraries’ special collections and archives range from the documents of ordinary life in Kansas, to stunning illuminated manuscripts and groundbreaking works of speculative fiction, to vibrant images from our university’s past. KU Libraries seek to empower all learners through transformative partnerships – opening doors, fueling knowledge creation, and cultivating communities.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is a leading provider of online research content and cutting-edge search technologies serving libraries, healthcare and medical institutions, corporations, and government agencies worldwide. As an AI-enabled services leader, EBSCO offers comprehensive solutions from research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery services to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. Our commitment to AI-driven innovation positions EBSCO at the forefront of the industry, enabling us to meet the evolving needs of the information services landscape. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. Visit our blog at EBSCOpost or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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For more information, please contact:
Erica Gilson
Senior Communications Specialist
egilson@ebsco.com
978-414-0385