Chris Cormack

Chris Cormack was the lead developer of the original Koha integrated library system at Katipo Communications, where the world’s first open source ILS was born in 1999. Working with the Horowhenua Library Trust, Chris and the team created a system that would go on to revolutionize library technology worldwide.

Since Koha went live on January 5, 2000, Chris has remained deeply committed to the Koha community and open source development. His work has helped establish the principles of collaboration, community-driven development, and data sovereignty that continue to guide Koha’s evolution 25 years later.

Now working with Catalyst IT, Chris continues to champion open source solutions and indigenous data sovereignty. His keynote returns to Koha’s roots in Aotearoa New Zealand, exploring how the values embedded in Koha’s creation connect to broader movements for digital kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and indigenous knowledge systems.