Open%20Source%20software%20for%20libraries

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Open Source software for libraries
By Katharina Penner
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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

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Free?

• free as in beer
• free as in free speech
• free as in free kittens

Phipps, S. 2002
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Advantages

• Reliability
• Better support
• User driven
• Innovation
• Cost

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

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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

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Greenstone

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

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Metadata formats

• Dublin Core
• Marc
• XML
• OAI
• DSpace

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Document formats

• PDF
• Word
• RTF
• HTML
• Plain text
• ZIP archives
• Excel
• PPT
• Email

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Languages

• English
• French
• Spanish
• Russian
• Kazakh
• Some in Vietnamese

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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)

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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?ep-en-h
  ome-utfZz-8appexamples
• http//www.nvu.com/index.php)
• http//www.gtalbot.org/NvuSection/NvuWebDesignTips
  /