Open Source Software for Libraries

Open Source Solutions
for Libraries
Amber Billey, MLIS
UVM Faculty Development
April 18, 2012

What is freedom?
“Free software” means software that respects users'
freedom and community. Roughly, the users have the
freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and
improve the software. With these freedoms, the users
(both individually and collectively) control the program and
what it does for them.
...
Thus, “free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To
understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in
“free speech,” not as in “free beer”.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

What is open source really?
Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is
available in source code form: the source code and certain
other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are
provided under an open-source license that permits users
to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the
software.

Open source software is very often developed in a public,
collaborative manner. Open-source software is the most
prominent example of open-source development and often
compared to (technically defined) user-generated content
or (legally defined) open content movements. - Wikipedia

1. Free redistribution

http://opensource.org/docs/osd

2. Source code


2. Source code
3. Derived works


2. Source code
3. Derived works
4. Integrity of the author's source code


2. Source code
3. Derived works
5. No discrimination against persons or
groups


2. Source code
3. Derived works
5. No discrimination against persons or groups
6. No discrimination against fields of
endeavor


2. Source code
3. Derived works
6. No discrimination against fields of endeavor
7. Distribution of license


2. Source code
3. Derived works
8. License must not be specific to a product

2. Source code
3. Derived works
9. License must not restrict other software

2. Source code
3. Derived works
9. License must not restrict other software
10. License must be technology-neutral

Why open source software?
Advantages Drawbacks

● Free ● Hidden costs
● No vendor ● No vendor
● Control code ● Technical expertise
● Customize ● Technical support
● Development ● Lack of community
● Redistribution
● Community

What can open source software do
for libraries?
Lots of stuff!

● Behind the scenes (web servers, indexing,
operating systems and databases)
● Integrated Library Systems
● Collection management
● Content management
● Digital preservation
● and more!

Open source behind the scenes
● Many libraries use open source software and
don't even know it!
○ Linux
○ Apache Tomcat web server
○ Apache Lucene index
○ MySQL

Integrated Library Systems

● Maori for "gift" ● GPLS
● LibLime ● PINES consortium
● Koha Community ● Many installations in
● VOKAL North America

Digital Preservation
● Library of Congress and NDIIPP
○ Ace (monitor file integrity)
○ EMET (extract image metadata)
○ INFORM (risk assessment of digital file formats)
○ JHOVE2 (identify, validate & assess digital objects)
○ Recollection (create & share embeddable
interfaces to digital cultural heritage collections)
○ Library of Congress - Transfer Tools (validation &
transfer of data)
● D-Space
○ digital asset management
○ repository

Before adopting, ask...
● How robust is the open source project?
● What is the support like?
● Do you have the expertise and time on-staff
to make the software work for your library?
● What are your time constraints?

Farkas, M. (2011). Open Source, Open Mind. American Libraries, 42(9/10), 36.

Let's talk about the "future"
● Beyond software
○ Semantic Web
○ Linked Data

Bibliographic data Subject data

Semantic delivery tool
RDF? ● search engine
OWL? ● ILS
SKOS? ● OPAC 3.0
Names data VIAF?

Why open source?

● Free from vendors
● Free to develop
● Share code and
data
● Contribute to a
community

Any questions?
thank you!
abilley@uvm.edu

Open Source Software for Libraries

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