This session is extremely interesting. Eric Lease Morgan Head, Digital Access and Information Architecture Department University Libraries of Notre Dame says that Open Source Software is not "free". You still need the SKILLS to use the software, which could cost you more than a closed source software.
Opening Statements
If libraries are about data, research and knowledge and we use computers to control information then we need open source software to control the way WE want to distribute and maintain information.
Open Source Software does NOT mean “free” software. It’s liberating. You are FREE to use the software and modify it any way you want.
Still may have same expenses with open source software as regular software.
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| From Computers in Libraries 2009 Conference |
Open source software is about:
- Free cost
- Community users
Examples of Open Source Software:
- Most of the Internet runs on Open Source Software
- SendMail- majority of software the emails your emails is open source
- Apache
“Library Land” Open Source Software (software for Libraries):
- Lucene
- Zebra
- WordPress
- VuFind
- Evergreen
- Blacklight
- Koha
- Scriblio
- SwishE
8 Skills Needed to Successfully Use Open Source Software
Library Skills
1. Collections
2. Organization
3. Preservation/Archiving
4. Public Service
Computing Skills
5. Relational Databases
6. XML
7. Indexing
8. Scripting Language
Advantages
Full control to use and modify software
No copyright infringement issues
Free of costs
Disadvantages
Takes different set of skills to use
Questions that were asked after session:
Q: How does a manager feel comfortable with certain softwares?
A: Consider these things:
- Is there documentation?
- Is there a community of users?
- Is the software singular or comes with “spyware”?
- What are the primary Google results?
Q: What does Open Source mean to libraries?
A: It’s a common good. These programs are basically given away (free) for anyone to use. If you notice, Librarians also “give away” information. It is good to have different alternatives of production and systems to keep costs down and continue to provide “outside the box” services. Everyone has Microsoft Office, but many people don’t know that Open Office has more features and is easier to use. It’s about having full control to modify and customize.
Very good session. We did the WAVE at the beginning to wake everybody up. Next sessions starts in 15 minutes.
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