Koha, the most widely used open source global library system, is set to be celebrated across Wellington, with KohaCon25(external link) returning to the city 17-23 November 2025.
The annual international conference will see around 200 Koha users connect, share new ideas and work collaboratively on improvements to the Koha platform.
Initially developed with Horowhenua Library(external link) 25 years ago to solve a Y2K bug(external link), the platform is now used by over 20,000 libraries around the world.
Catalyst, who has been supporting and developing Koha since 2009, sees the anniversary as a testament to the power of community-driven innovation.
Pictured: Chris Cormack at KohaCon25. Taken by Kristina Hoeppner, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
"This could be one of New Zealand’s best-kept technology success stories. Koha's 25-year journey exemplifies what's possible when communities collaborate toward a common goal. The platform's open source nature has enabled unique innovation that responds to the changing needs of galleries, libraries, archives, museums and records organisations worldwide – solving problems and presenting opportunities for global collections around taonga," says Chris Cormack, Kohacon25 Organiser.
"As the community gathers for KohaCon25 in Wellington, we're excited to help continue shaping the next chapter of this platform," says Don Christie, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Catalyst. “It’s a really compelling story about how Levin has changed lib
Over the course of the week, local and international technology professionals and developers will attend a three-day conference to hear from a range of influential speakers and experts, enjoy a Culture Day to explore the Wellington region, before spending a further three-days working collaboratively on new code to further advance and improve the platform.
The strong line-up of speakers(external link) includes Te Hiku Media's CEO Peter-Lucas Jones(external link) who will deliver the opening keynote on Creating Ethical and Indigenous AI, and Kirikowhai Mikaere(external link), Lead Technician at Te Kāhui Raraunga, who will talk to 'Digital Sovereignty and Indigenous knowledge Systems'.
The Culture Day will see delegates visit a range of local landmarks including Te Papa(external link), Zealandia(external link), Weta Cave(external link) and the city library(external link), or enjoy a craft beer crawl through Wellington's best breweries(external link) before coming together for a game of cricket and a traditional Kiwi-BBQ at the Eastbourne Cricket Club(external link).
KohaCon25 is free to attend and open to anyone interested in library technology and open source software. For more information about the conference program, registration, and to join the celebration of Koha's 25th anniversary, visit https://2025.kohacon.org/(external link).
Pictured: KohaCon25 group photo. Taken by Kristina Hoeppner, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
About Koha Koha is the world's first free and open source integrated library system(external link). Named after the Māori word for 'gift', Koha was developed in New Zealand in 1999 and is now used by nearly 20,000 libraries worldwide across all types and sizes, from small community libraries to large academic institutions.
About KohaCon KohaCon is an annual international conference, running since 2006.(external link) Free since inception, KohaCon is an opportunity for people who use or are interested in Koha to come together to discuss and develop new ways to leverage and improve the platform.
About Chris Cormack KohanCon25 Organiser Chris Cormack has worked on Koha since the beginning. He is now Kaihuawaere Matihiko at Wellington's Catalyst (catalyst.net.nz) - one of 60 companies around the world that support the Koha software. Chris also works to increase the
participation and representation of Māori in the IT sector, by supporting Māori-led initiatives, mentoring Māori students and professionals, and advocating for Māori interests and rights.
About Catalyst For nearly 30 years, Catalyst has been creating a path towards digital independence for New Zealand, one organisation at a time. We create more freedom to innovate in government agencies, enterprise and non-profits to build digital solutions their communities need, know where their data lives and share innovations that strengthen and grow Aotearoa. Through open source software, Catalyst has already helped hundreds of New Zealand organisations take more control of their digital future.
