PHILADELPHIA — March 17, 2026 — The FOLIO Open Source Community has issued its latest named release, opening the way for many sites to adopt FOLIO. The Sunflower Release signifies the completion of a major change in architecture for the FOLIO Library Services Platform (LSP) in addition to exciting enhancements.
The FOLIO open-source project, which leverages expertise from libraries, developers and service providers, has built a fully functional open source LSP that is being implemented around the world. The major architectural change is from Okapi to the Eureka platform.
The Eureka platform addresses some of the limitations of the original Okapi design. The original architecture combined several functions, such as API gateway and identity and access management, in one component. Eureka distributes these functions, adopting components for an API gateway (Kong) and identity and access management (Keycloak). Eureka adds support for module-to-module communication (sidecars), and components for applications manager, tenant manager, and tenant entitlement manager. The use of sidecars allows direct communication between modules, potentially improving efficiency. The Eureka platform also allows for expanded role and capability-based permissions, which ultimately support a scalable governance model. This distributed design provides more flexibility and scalability.
In addition to this major architectural change, the Sunflower release delivers one of the most significant waves of enhancements across the FOLIO platform to date. Here are the standout upgrades shaping this release:
- Smarter, More Flexible Bulk Edit: Sunflower introduces powerful improvements for large‑scale record maintenance:
- Edit all non‑control fields in MARC bibliographic records
- Clear separation of errors and. warnings for better troubleshooting
- A redesigned Find tool with partial‑match support for Inventory fields, streamlining cleanup workflows
- Comprehensive Version History: For the first time, libraries can view field‑level changes (added, edited, removed) across:
- Instance, Holdings, Item records
- MARC Bibliographic and Authority records
- This offers unprecedented auditability and confidence in change tracking workflows.
- Enhanced Invoices & Organizations: Both Invoices and Organizations now include full edit histories, strengthening financial transparency and vendor management.
- Smarter Number Generators: Libraries can now automatically generate:
- Vendor codes
- Item barcodes
- Accession numbers
- Call numbers
- Streamlined Inventory Management: New inventory capabilities include:
- A Set for deletion flag for Instances, aligned with MARC LDR updates via QuickMARC or Data Import
- Modernized eUsage (ERM): Sunflower brings ERM analytics into the next generation with:
- Full COUNTER 5.1 support for harvesting, exporting, and JSON upload
- Ability to specify file paths in non‑COUNTER reports
- Improved keyword search for usage data providers (UDPs)
- Personalized User Experience: Users can now customize their application display order in the Universal Header, improving navigation and supporting individualized workflows.
- Serials & Receiving Enhancements: Updates include:
- A new manage permission for serial records (including delete)
- Updated batch creation endpoint for Receiving workflows
- Explore the Release:
- View demos from each development team highlighting their work on the Sunflower Release for a closer look at all new features:
- See these Notes on Functionality pages for summaries by FOLIO app product owners
The next release will be the Trillium Release, scheduled for May or June.
About FOLIO
FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information go to www.folio.org.
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