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Open Source for Libraries

NEXT GENERATION LIBRARY TECHNOLOGIES -- A conference sponsored by the Southeastern NY Library Resources Council. Open Source for Libraries. Making rational choices between open source and traditionally licensed software. Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technologies and Research

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Open Source for Libraries

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  1. NEXT GENERATION LIBRARY TECHNOLOGIES -- A conference sponsored by the Southeastern NY Library Resources Council Open Source for Libraries Making rational choices between open source and traditionally licensed software Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding http://www.librarytechnology.org/

  2. Program Description Marshall Breeding will set the tone by examining the opportunities as well as the challenges that are encountered when embracing open source technologies.  In the last couple of years, open source has entered the library automation scene in a big way.  Breeding will talk about the major issues that libraries need to consider as they weigh open source and traditionally licensed ILS products, exploring the relative cost and risks of each alternative.  He will give a brief overview of the products and companies that comprise this new sector of the ILS industry.

  3. Open Source Software Broad Trends

  4. Open Source Infrastructure

  5. IT Infrastructure • Linux • Apache • Lucene • Solr • MySql • PostgreSQL

  6. Web Server deployment Source: Netcraft www.netcraft.com

  7. Operating System Market Share • IDC figures for OS on new server shipments 3Q 2007: • Windows Server: 67.1% • Linux: 22.8% • Slight gain for Windows/loss for Linux over previous quarter

  8. Trends • Open Source Software well established in for general IT infrastructure • Linux emerging as the dominant flavor of Unix • Commercial options continue to prosper

  9. Open Source Library Software (non-ILS)

  10. General Infrastructure Components • Index Data • YAZ toolkit • Z39.50 • SRU/W • Zebra XML Search Engine • Metaproxy • “metasearching proxy front end server for integrating access to multiple back-end Z39.50-compliant databases” • MasterKey federated search engine

  11. Open Search Federated Search

  12. LibraryFind • Open source federated search • Built-in OpenURL resolver • 3-teired caching • Customizable interface • Developed by the University of Oregon Libraries

  13. dbWiz • Open source federated search utility • Developed at Simon Frasier University

  14. Masterkey • Developed by Index Data • Highly optimized, multithreaded searching of many databases • Faceted browsing of results • Demo: masterkey.indexdata.com

  15. Open source software from OCLC • http://www.oclc.org/research/software/ • Several OAI utilities • OAIcat • OAIHarvester • SRU/W • OpenURL 1.0 • Pears: text storage and indexing

  16. Digital Repository Applications

  17. Fedora • Open source digital repository engine • Not an out-of-the-box solution • Many organizations have developed their own interfaces and applications built on top of Fedora • VTLS Vital product based on Fedora • Supported by Fedora Commons • http://www.fedora-commons.org/

  18. Dspace • Institutional Repository Application • Originally developed by Hewlett Packard and MIT • http://www.dspace.org • Widely deployed by Universities for institutional repository projects

  19. Keystone • Developed by Index Data • Open source digital repository application • Digital content management • Federated search • OAI harvesting • Link resolver services

  20. Open source discovery products AKA: Next Generation Catalogs

  21. VUFind – Villanova University Based on Apache Solr search toolkit http://www.vufind.org/

  22. eXtensible Catalog • University of Rochester – River Campus Libraries • Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation • http://www.extensiblecatalog.info/ • Just received a second round of funding from Mellon • $283,000 (April 2006) • $749,000 (October 2007) • Wider institutional participation

  23. Fac-Back-OPAC • Initially developed Dan Scott Laurentian University • Further work by Casey Durfee at the Seattle Public Library • Based on: • MARCXML • Solr • Django (Python-based Web application framework)

  24. Scriblio • Formerly WPopac • OPAC based on WordPress

  25. Open Source in the ILS arena Products and trends

  26. Open Source ILS enters the mainstream • Earlier era of pioneering efforts to ILS shifting into one where open source alternatives fall in the mainstream • Off-the-shelf, commercially supported product available • Still a minority player, but gaining ground

  27. Tracking the Open Source Movement Through Marshall’s articles and columns

  28. March 2002: Open source ILS: still a distant possibility • “I do not, however, expect to see such victories of Open Source software over commercial products in the integrated library system arena. Both broad historical and recent trends argue against a movement toward libraries creating their own library automation systems—either in an Open Source or closed development process.” • Early open source efforts included Avanti, Pytheas, OpenBook, and Koha • 3 out of 4 now defunct Source: Information Technologies and Libraries, Mar 2002

  29. Oct 2002: An update on Open Source ILS • “the open source systems such as the three mentioned above are but a small blip on the radar. Compared to the thousands of libraries that acquire automation systems from commercial vendors each year, the handful that use open source systems cannot yet be noted as a trend. “ • Discussed Koha, LearningAccess ILS, Avanti MicroLCS Source: Information Today, Oct 2002 http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=9975

  30. … then the world changed

  31. Mar 2007: On update on Open Source ILS “As I look back at my 2002 column on open source ILS, I see that I mentioned both Koha and the Learning-Access ILS. Over this 4-year time period I have seen Koha usage increase from a single library system to two or more library systems plus a few individual public libraries and a large number of other small ones. The LearningAccess ILS is used in 15 libraries. Evergreen currently represents the largest group of libraries sharing a single open source ILS implementation. Over the same time period, well over 40,000 libraries have purchased a commercial ILS. So, relative to the entire library automation arena, those using an open source ILS still represent a minuscule portion of the whole. That said, conditions are ripe for a more rapid adoption of open source ILS than we have seen in the past. “ Source: Computers in Libraries, Mar 2007 http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=12445

  32. Mar 2008: Making a business case for Open Source ILS We’re living in a phase of library automation characterized by an increased interest in open source-not just in back-end infrastructure components but also in the mission-critical business applications such as the integrated library system. Open source library automation systems, including Koha and Evergreen, have been propelled into the limelight. Recent survey data fails to corroborate broad interest that libraries are ready to adopt open source ILS. The success of early adopters of open source ILS now serve as a catalyst for others. Paths now exist with more mature systems and professional support options. As the open source movement matures, these system will need to compete on their own merits and not solely on a philosophical preference. Source: Computers in Libraries, Mar 2008 http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=13134

  33. Apr 2008: Automation System Marketplace “Last year marked the launch of the open source ILS into the mainstream; it received major attention in the press and at library conferences. From a business perspective, open source ILS contracts represented a very small portion of the library automation economy. The success of early adopters' implementations has already diminished skepticism. Many indicators suggest that open source ILS contracts will displace larger percentages of traditional licensing models in each subsequent year. Source: “Automation System Marketplace: Opportunity out of Turmoil” April 1, 2008

  34. An industry in turmoil • Disruptions and business decisions to narrow options have fueled the open source movement • Benefit to libraries in having additional options • Traditionally licensed and open source ILS alternatives will coexist in the ILS arena

  35. Open Source vs Traditional licensing • Taking sides? • Both viable options • Avoid philosophical preference • Which best supports the missions of libraries? • Which approach helps libraries become better libraries

  36. Current Open Source ILS Product Options

  37. Koha: first Open Source ILS • Koha + Index Data Zebra = Koha ZOOM • Components: • Perl • Apache • MySql • Zebra: search engine option for larger installations

  38. Libraries committed to Koha • 300+ libraries • Horowhenua Library Trust • Nelsonville Public Library • Athens County, OH • Crawford County Federated Library System • 10 Libraries in PA • Howard County, MD • Service area population: 266300 • 4.7 million circulation transactions in 2006 • 1 million volumes • Central Kansas Library System • Santa Cruz Public Library • Central, 9 branches • 2 million volumes • Near East University Library • 1.5 million volumes

  39. Koha

  40. Evergreen • Developed by the Georgia Public Library Service • Small development team • June 2004 – development begins • Sept 5, 2006 – live production • Streamlined environment: single shared implementation, all libraries follow the same policies, one library card

  41. Libraries using Evergreen • Georgia PINES • http://gapines.org • Georgia PINES: • 1 Installation • 54 Public Library Systems • 260+ library facilities • Does not include municipal systems: Atlanta-Fulton County, Cobb County • Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES • Kent County, MD • Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada

  42. Evergreen

  43. OPALS • Open source Automated Library System • http://www.mediaflex.net/showcase.jsp?record_id=52 • Developed and Supported by Media Flex • Harry Chan • Original developer of Mandarin • Installation ($250) and Hosting services ($750) • South Central Organization of (School) Libraries • consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY

  44. Libraries using OPALs • Dutchess County BOCES School Library System Union Catalog • Rockland County BOCES School Library System Union Catalog • manage as many as half a million unique titles and close to a million holdings. • South Central Organization Of (School) Library Systems • 1.7 million titles and more than 3 million holdings for 300 schools • 24 school libraries in Rockland County use OPALS open source software to manage the daily operations of their libraries • In New York State, 15 BOCES School Library Systems provide interlibrary loan services and building level management services to 900 school libraries using OPALS open source software Source: Harry Chan. MediaFlex

  45. SCOOLS

  46. NextGenLib • ILS designed for the developing world • Originally traditionally licensed, introduced 2003 • Transition to Open Source in Jan 2008 • 122 Installations (India, Syria, Sudan, Cambodia) • Collaborative project: • Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management • Versus Solutions • Versus IT Services Pvt. Ltd • http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=13150

  47. Learning Access ILS • Learning Access Institute • Turnkey Open Source ILS • Designed for underserved rural public and tribal libraries • http://www.learningaccess.org • Project continues but not expanding rapidly

  48. LearningAccess ILS

  49. ILS Deployments

  50. Commercial Involvement Companies formed to support open source library products

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