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FOLIO Overview
What is FOLIO?
FOLIO (The Future of Libraries is Open) is an open-source Library Services Platform (LSP) used by OSU Libraries and the OSU A&M Consortium to manage acquisitions, cataloging, and circulation. Unlike traditional ILS platforms, FOLIO is app-based and open to community development, meaning librarians and developers from around the globe can help build and improve it.
At OSU Libraries and across OSU A&M, we use FOLIO to handle:
- Buying books, journals, and databases
- Managing library vendors
- Keeping track of budgets, fund codes, and library accounts
- Recording what we receive and pay for
- Managing physical inventory and Library records.
- Storing agreements for eResources
FOLIO works differently from older ILS systems because it's app-based, and each app works as a stand-alone component. It was also built to share data with vendors and tools we already use, like GOBI, EBSCO, and OCLC, for more flexible and sustainable library workflows.
FOLIO is our system of record for anything we buy or catalog. It also sends updates to our public search tool (EDS, the EBSCO Discovery Service) and reports can be created to distribute to national surveys like ARL, IPEDS and ACRL.
How to Access FOLIO
URL: https://folio.okstate.edu
Login: Use your assigned institutional credentials
Role-Based Access: Permissions vary by function (e.g., Ordering, Receiving, Invoicing)
Need Help? Contact: <folio@okstate.email.libanswers.com>
Acquisitions framework in FOLIO
FOLIO is structured around a suite of apps that record every step of the acquisition lifecycle. Each app does one specific part of the work, and together they form the full picture:
App |
Function |
Organizations |
Stores vendor information (like name, contact, fund), management for EDI details |
Finance |
Tracks budgets and spending. Set up fiscal years, fund codes, and expense types. |
Orders |
Create purchase orders (POs). Used for buying books, journals, databases, etc. |
Receiving |
Check in physical materials when they arrive and route them to their location. |
Invoices |
Tracks expenditures, matches orders to invoices, and shows final cost and funds used. |
Agreements |
Links orders (POs) and resources, stores contracts and license terms, and links to the eHoldings app. |
Serials |
Predicts when journals should arrive and sets expected issue patterns. |
eHoldings |
Manages e-resources through EBSCO (we use HLM to view e-resources). |
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What Comes Next?
In the following sections, we walk you through each FOLIO App and give step-by-step instructions for working with different resource types, including Print, eBooks, Serials, and Media.
Each section includes:
- Step-by-step guides for common tasks
- training videos and screenshots
- Realistic workflows you can use as checklists
- 🛠️ Gala’s Hacks: for tricky processes
- Troubleshooting examples from real OSU scenarios