a review of “open source web applications for libraries”

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This article was downloaded by: [Memorial University of Newfoundland] On: 11 November 2013, At: 09:39 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Web Librarianship Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjwl20 A Review of “Open Source Web Applications for Libraries” Bradford Lee Eden a a Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication University of California, Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, CA E-mail: Published online: 30 Aug 2011. To cite this article: Bradford Lee Eden (2011) A Review of “Open Source Web Applications for Libraries”, Journal of Web Librarianship, 5:3, 262-263, DOI: 10.1080/19322909.2011.592482 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2011.592482 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

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Page 1: A Review of “Open Source Web Applications for Libraries”

This article was downloaded by: [Memorial University of Newfoundland]On: 11 November 2013, At: 09:39Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Journal of Web LibrarianshipPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjwl20

A Review of “Open Source WebApplications for Libraries”Bradford Lee Eden aa Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and ScholarlyCommunication University of California, Santa Barbara , SantaBarbara, CA E-mail:Published online: 30 Aug 2011.

To cite this article: Bradford Lee Eden (2011) A Review of “Open Source Web Applications forLibraries”, Journal of Web Librarianship, 5:3, 262-263, DOI: 10.1080/19322909.2011.592482

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2011.592482

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: A Review of “Open Source Web Applications for Libraries”

Journal of Web Librarianship, 5:262–266, 2011Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 1932-2909 print / 1932-2917 onlineDOI: 10.1080/19322909.2011.592482

REVIEWS: RESOURCES on LIBRARIANSHIPand the WEB

OPEN SOURCE WEB APPLICATIONS FOR LIBRARIES. Coombs, Karen A.,and Amanda J. Hollister. Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2010, 268 pp.,ISBN 978-1-57387-400-7.

In the introduction to Open Source Web Applications for Libraries, the au-thors express a concern that librarians have created excuses for not us-ing open-source Web applications. These excuses include a general lackof knowledge, fear and uncertainty, and the myth that they are difficult toinstall. The purpose of this book is to dispel those notions, showing mostopen-source Web applications can be installed in fifteen minutes or lessand can even be experimented with ahead of time without installation athttp://www.bitnami.org.

The book is organized from simple to complex, starting out with thebasics of what open-source software is to an overview of next-generationcatalog software. It is divided into five parts: “Introduction to Open SourceWeb Applications,” “Blogs and Wikis,” “Content Management Systems,” “Ref-erence and Instruction Tools,” and “Resource Discovery Tools.” The “Intro-duction” includes three chapters, covering an overview of the open-sourcelicensing model, how open-source software gets developed, and the cultureof open source in Chapter 1; the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP),which is the backbone of many open-source applications, in Chapter 2; andan overview of hosting options and decision-making strategies for librariesin Chapter 3. The “Blogs and Wikis” section has four chapters, discussingtwo blogging tools and two wiki applications: Chapter 4 discusses Word-Press, Chapter 5 explains Moveable Type, Chapter 6 examines PmWiki, andChapter 7 looks at MediaWiki.

“Content Management Systems” has three chapters on implementingsoftware as a CMS: WordPress as a CMS in Chapter 8, Joomla in Chapter9, and Drupal in Chapter 10. The “Reference and Instruction Tools” sec-tion contains three chapters: Chapter 11 features a variety of open-sourcetools, such as Libstats, refbase, and the Assignment Calculator; Chapter 12discusses Pirate Source and SubjectsPlus; and Chapter 13 examines LibData.

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Page 3: A Review of “Open Source Web Applications for Libraries”

Reviews 263

The “Resource Discovery Tools” section has two chapters: Chapter 14 coversopen-source federated search tools, where three applications are featured,and Chapter 15 highlights next-generation catalogs like Blacklight, SOPAC,VuFind, and Scriblio. A short glossary and an index are provided as well.

This book describes, in easy-to-understand language, what is availablein open-source Web applications and how they can be incorporated intolibraries. It behooves all librarians and libraries to experiment and implementmany of the applications described in this volume, which will help us tobetter serve and connect with our users.

Bradford Lee EdenAssociate University Librarian

for Technical Services and Scholarly CommunicationUniversity of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, [email protected]

INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEMS: PLANNING, SELECTING, AND IMPLE-MENTING. Webber, Desiree, and Andrew Peters. Santa Barbara, CA: Li-braries Unlimited, 2010, 183 pp., $45.00, ISBN 978-1-59158-897-9.

Acquiring a new integrated library system (ILS) can be a hectic task, requiringresearch into the various products and modules vendors offer; ensuring thehardware and software requirements are met (if the library is using its ownequipment); seeking feedback from other libraries using the prospective ILS;allocating funding for the purchase; implementing the ILS; and providingtraining. Desiree Webber and Andrew Peters have created a useful, quickguide to aid in the lengthy process of planning for and choosing a newILS. They briefly discuss the types of ILSs available, including open-sourceversions, offering basic pros and cons for each type and a sample analysisworksheet. A chart of known ILS products with vendor information is alsoprovided, with tips on contacting vendors. The authors discuss technicalspecifications and hardware requirements in a way that is easy for non-experts to comprehend basic technical considerations. There is also a sectionoutlining various modules and add-on features.

Other useful tools are a sample budget comparison chart and a timelineoutline with in-depth explanations of each procedure listed. This book isrecommended for anyone thinking of acquiring a new ILS. After reading this,even the most tenacious of staff wanting a new ILS may well be persuadedotherwise. After deciding that an upgrade is the best alternative, this book

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