open source software for libraries by katharina penner

Open Source software for libraries

By Katharina Penner

What is Open Source? A specific set of software license

allow others to freely redistribute the software source code for the software must be available allow derived works based off of the software

A practical method of developing software A community of developers and users who

support #1 and #2

Free?

free as in „beer“ free as in „free speech“ free as in „free kittens“

Phipps, S. 2002

Advantages

Reliability Better support User driven Innovation Cost

Adapted from http://liblime.com/open-source

Disadvantages

Many libraries do not have the in-house expertise to support open-source software

Don't have the ability to train staff on the use of the new technologies

Open source alternatives weren't perceived as feature-rich enough to handle the complex needs of libraries

Hidden costs (staff time)

Koha Open Source Library System http://www.koha.org/ A full featured modern integrated library system (ILS):

circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Linux, Unix, Windows and MacOS platform Can be fully integrated into the library website; Web

based OPAC system Copy cataloguing and z39.50 MARC21 and UNIMARC for professional cataloguers Use as a document manager or digital library; manage

online and off line resources with the same tool RSS feed of new acquisitions

Greenstone

Tool for digital library Publish on internet or CD-ROM Windows, Unix and Mac Interoperability Two interfaces: librarians and

readers

Metadata formats

Dublin Core Marc XML OAI DSpace

Document formats PDF Word RTF HTML Plain text ZIP archives Excel PPT Email

Languages

English French Spanish Russian Kazakh Some in Vietnamese

NVU (new view) – web design complete Web design system Linux, Windows and Macintosh open source alternative to FrontPage

and Dreamweaver create web pages manage a website with no technical

expertise or knowledge of HTML available in different languages (I use

German)

Used sources Phipps, Simon. „Free speech, free beer and free software.“

c/net news.com available at http://news.com.com/2010-1071-954384.html?tg (accessed March 1, 2007).

Muir, Scott P. „An introduction to the open source software issue.“ Library Hi Tech 29/4 (2005): 465-468.

http://www.koha.org/ http://liblime.com/open-source http://greenstonewiki.cs.waikato.ac.nz/wiki/index.php/

GreenstoneWiki http://www.greenstone.org/cgi-bin/library?e=p-en-home-

utfZz-8&a=p&p=examples http://www.nvu.com/index.php) http://www.gtalbot.org/NvuSection/NvuWebDesignTips/