A Study on the Open source Integrated Library Management Software: special reference to

NewGenLib.

By

Goutam Biswas mail: goutambiswas8@gmail.com

http://goutambiswasresearch.yolasite.com/  And

Dibyendu Paulmail:dibyendu.kly@gmail.com

DLIS, University of Kalyani, West Bengal

PRESENTATION PLANINTRODUCTION

RECOMMENDED FEATURES….

REASONS FOR CHOOSING OSS

SALIENT FEATURES OF NewGenLib…

SOFTWARE COMPARED WITH…

FEATURE FOR COMPARISON

FINDINGS BASED ON PROJECTED SCORE

CONLCUSSION.

INTRODUCTION

The Open Source Initiative (http://www.opensource.org/) claims that open source software is “an idea whose time has finally come”.

It is seen to represent the philosophical understanding of how a previously created “source” or code can be used or adapted to develop a piece of“ software”.

LMS has significant roles in library automation.

Basic points of considerations regarding LMS are: availability available features and functional modules standards and compatibility in data format and data exchange cost of procurement

Options: commercial or free software?

Availability in India: Most of are commercial software

The open source ILMS originated in India: NewGenLib Open Source We attempted to highlight: features advantages and disadvantages Comparison with others

Back2Plan

RECOMMENDED FEATURES….

Back2Plan Core modules: acquisition, cataloguing, circulation, serial control, article indexing… Enhanced services: customized report generation, reservation facility, interlibrary loan, union cataloguing, authority file, retro-conversion… Binary or source code Standards/Formats: MARC21, CCF, MARC-XML, ISO-2709, Z39.50…Developer: Institution is first preference Reputed company is the next Individual (s) may deviate from continuity.

Revision

REASONS FOR CHOOSING OSS

Price

Unrestricted use

Community involvement in development and maintenance

Issues of copyright etc

Interoperability: customizable according to the needs and standards

Back2Plan

SALIENT FEATURES OF NewGenLib…

Back2Plan Licensing

Source Code & User Manual

User’s Feedback

Architecture & Backend

Functional Modules

Data Create & Exchange Format

Mail Server

Open Access Compatibility

Unicode Compatibility

RFID Technology

SOFTWARE COMPARED WITH…

Koha

PMB

PhpMyLibrary

OpenBiblio

FEATURE FOR COMPARISON

General Features

Functional Modules

OPAC

Circulation

Cataloging & Information Services Back2Plan

GENERAL FEATURES Back2Plan Authority file & controlled vocabulary

Client server architect

Complete web based functions

Customized report generation

Give technical support after installation

GUI and color

Interlibrary loan system

Intranet support

Retro conversion

Standard report administration

Support International metadata standard

Support multilinguality

Support network environment

Ability to build digital library

Ability to build repository

Article Indexing

Associate component found in open source

Digital library integration

Linux and Windows OS compatible

No restriction of use

Power search facility

Scalable and high speed

Union cataloguing

COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF FUNCTIONAL MODULES Back2Features

Acquisition

Budget Control

Cataloguing of Monograph

Cataloguing of Electronic Documents

Circulation

Inter Library Loan

Library Statistics

OPAC

Reports Generation

Cataloguing of Website

Import/Export

Serial Control

Stock Taking

COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF OPAC Back2Feature

Multimedia

Library Map

Website Cataloguing

Electronic Documents Cataloguing

Reservation Through OPAC

Can Staff Modify Index Field?

Can Staff Modify Display Format?

Facility for WEBPAC

COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF CIRCULATION Back2Feature

Issue & Return

Renewal

Reservation

Use of Barcode Technology

Fines as per different users and documents

Reservation (for specific time period)

Report Generation

Use of RFID

COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF CATALOGING & INFORMATION SERVICES Back2Plan

Printing of Catalogue in AACR Format

Printing of Catalogue in CCC Format

Exporting /Importing of Data

Report Generation

SDI Service

CAS Service

METHOD OF SCORING …

One point each has given for the features available for

zero each for the features not available in any software

It must be noted that all features are not equal in significance

FINDINGS BASED ON PROJECTED SCORE

NewGenLib is more advanced It has five more features in general than Koha and much more

than the commercial software under study In functional modules it remain advance than Koha but more

or less equally featured with commercial software NewGenLib has also more features in number in all other

aspects like: OPAC Circulation Cataloguing and Information Services

Go2Chart

Back2Plan

PROJECTED SCORE OF COMPARATIVE FEATURES Back2Plan

13

7

9

6

11

5

8

4

12

6

8

4

9

3

5

4

8

3

4

3

0

7

14

21

28

35

NewGenLib Koha PMB PhpMyLib OpenBiblio

Projected Score of Software Under StudyFuntional Modules OPAC Circulation Cataloging & Inf. Services

CONCLUSION Back2Plan

In this very brief study it is clear that this software would be applicable in Indian libraries as far as its different features are concerned. It supports all the functional modules as well as the web interface needed for a library. In a developing country like India, the first Indian origin open source software is incredibly useful. In the new paradigm of information society, software like NewGenLib open source software is a basic requirement as a primary resource of library.It should take a great role for the purpose of Information Access Initiatives and Rural India.

Thanks

Table 01: Comparative General Features of Selected Software … (Back)

General Features NewGenLib Koha PMB PhpMyLib

OpenBiblio

Authority file & controlled vocabulary 1 1 1 1 1

Client server architect 1 1 1 1 1

Complete web based functions 1 1 1 1 1

Customized report generation 1 1 1 1 1

Give technical support after installation 1 1 1 1 1

GUI and color 1 1 1 1 1

Interlibrary loan system 1 1 1 1 1

Intranet support 1 1 1 1 1

Retro conversion 1 1 1 1 1

Standard report administration 1 1 1 1 1

Support International metadata standard 1 1 1 1 1

Support multilinguality 1 1 1 1 1

Support network environment 1 1 1 1 1

Ability to build digital library 1 0 0 0 1

Ability to build repository 1 0 0 0 0

Article Indexing 1 0 0 0 0

Associate component found in open source 1 1 0 0 0

Digital library integration 1 1 0 1 1

Linux and Windows OS compatible 1 0 0 0 0

No restriction of use 1 1 0 0 0

Power search facility 1 1 0 0 1

Scalable and high speed 1 0 1 1 1

Union cataloguing 1 1 1 0 1

Score 23 18 15 16 18

Comparative Features of Functional ModulesFunctions NewGenLib Koha LIBSYS PhpMyLi

bOpenBiblio

Acquisition 1 1 1 1 1

Budget Control 1 1 1 1 1

Cataloguing of monograph 1 1 1 1 1

Cataloguing of electronic documents 1 1 1 1 1

Circulation 1 1 1 1 1

Inter Library Loan 1 1 1 1 1

Library Statistics 1 1 1 1 1

OPAC 1 1 1 1 1

Reports Generation 1 1 1 1 1

Cataloguing of website 1 0 0 1 0

Import/Export 1 0 1 1 1

Serial Control 1 0 1 1 1

Stock taking 1 0 1 1 1

Score 13 09 12 13 12

Comparative Features of OPAC OPAC Features NewGenLib Koha SLIM++ PhpMyLib EASYLIB

Multimedia 1 0 1 0 1

Library Map N.F 0 0 0 1

Web site cataloguing 1 0 1 0 0

Electronic documents cataloguing 1 1 1 0 1

Reservation through OPAC 1 1 1 1 1

Can staff modify index field 1 1 0 0 0

Can staff modify display format 1 1 1 0 1

Facility for WEBPAC 1 1 1 1 1

Score 07 05 06 02 06

Back to plan

Comparative Features of Circulation…Circulation Features NewGenLib Koha SLIM++ PhpMy

LibOpenBibli

o

Issue 1 1 1 1 1

Return 1 1 1 1 1

Renewal 1 1 1 1 1

Reservation 1 1 1 1 1

Use of barcode technology 1 1 1 1 1

Fines as per different users and documents

1 1 1 1 1

Reservation (for specific time period) 1 1 1 1 1

Report generation 1 1 1 1 1

Use of RFID 1 N.F N.F 1 N.F

Score 09 08 08 09 08

Information Services NewGenLib

Koha SLIM++

PhpMyLib

OpenBiblio

Printing of catalogue in AACR format

1 0 0 1 1

Printing of catalogue in CCC format

1 0 0 1 0

Exporting /Importing of data 1 0 1 1 1

Report generation 1 0 1 1 1

SDI service 1 0 1 1 1

CAS service 1 0 1 0 0

Score 06 00 04 05 04

Comparative Features of Cataloging & Information Services