Open Source Software in Libraries An Infopeople Webcast

Open Source Software in Libraries An Infopeople Webcast Tuesday, January 27, 2004 12: 00 noon to 1: 00 PM Presenter: Eric Lease Morgan eric_morgan@infomotions. com

Technical Housekeeping n Use Chat window to ask questions or post to group n Click IM button to send a private message n For technical problems, send IM to Horizon. Help n Evaluation pops up during Q&A; please fill it out n Webcast is being archived; will be available on Infopeople’s website tomorrow

Topics To Be Discussed n n n n Think of a question Definition Similarities to librarianship Types of OSS Library-specific applications Empowering computer philosophy Infopeople online workshop Questions

Try To Answer This Question What problems are you having in your institution that might be addressed with computer technology? Put another way, if you could have a particular computer program written, then what would it do?

Open Source Software (OSS) is… n free as in “free speech, not free beer”. n free as a “free kitten”. n not shareware. n not like “homegrown” systems. n not in the public domain. n an effort to retain control of computers. n a philosophy of computing.

OSS and librarianship both… n value “free” data/information. n put a premium on accessibility. n represent “gift cultures. ” n exist to improve the state of society. n use peer-review to determine/improve quality. n endorse open standards.

Types of OSS n Database applications n HTTP servers and clients n Programming languages and libraries n Web browsers n SMTP servers and clients n Operating systems n XML processors

Library-like OSS… n MARC record readers/writers n Z 39. 50 servers and clients n Online public access catalogs/ILS’s n Internet resource list managers n Portal applications n Indexers/search engines n OAI data repositories and harvesters

More Library-like OSS n Digital asset managers n Citation managers n Online reference applications n Bibliographic data managers n Preprint servers n E-reserves systems n Proxy servers

Simple “Card Catalog”

Home Page

Author Index

Title Index

Subject Index

Free-text Search Result

Detail Record View

Too Much Detail

OSS Empowers Libraries Open source software enables librarians and libraries to have more control over their computer technology. n provides the means to explore and implement ways of doing librarianship without the reliance on a software vendor. n illustrates how librarianship can facilitate library services and collections that go beyond book lending. n enables libraries to meet the quickly changing information needs, desires, and expectations of users. n

Infopeople Online Workshop n Introduces students to the world of open source software n Includes exercises using MARC data, databases, indexers, and XML n February 24 - March 23, 2004 http: //infopeople. org/WS/workshop/Workshop/157/

Questions What sorts of computer applications would you like to see implemented in your particular library? Are there any other questions from the participants?

Full Text/Image Library

A “Knowledge Manager”

Database-driven Website

The End Eric Lease Morgan eric_morgan@infomotions. com http: //infopeople. org/WS/workshop/Workshop/157/ http: //infomotions. com/musings/ossnlibraries-workshop/