1 / 40

Open Source Software for Libraries

Explore the trends and products in open-source software for large-scale libraries, including key components and applications such as Fedora, DSpace, VUFind, and Evergreen. Learn about the latest developments and initiatives in the field.

wilmac
Download Presentation

Open Source Software for Libraries

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Open Source Software for Libraries Issues for Large Scale libraries Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/breeding http://www.librarytechnology.org/ Library and Archives Canada December 7, 2007

  2. Open Source Software Broad Trends

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

  4. Apache Foundation • The Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open-source software projects. The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus based development process, an open and pragmatic software license, and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. We consider ourselves not simply a group of projects sharing a server, but rather a community of developers and users. • http://www.apache.org/

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

  6. 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

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

  8. Open Source Library Software (non-ILS)

  9. 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”

  10. 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

  11. Digital Repository Applications

  12. 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/

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

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

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

  16. Open source discovery products Aka: Next Generation Catalogs

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

  18. 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

  19. 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)

  20. Open Source in the ILS arena Products and trends

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

  22. Libraries using Koha • ~300 (mostly small) librariesHorowhenua 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 • Near East University Library • 1.5 million volumes

  23. Koha

  24. 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

  25. Libraries using Evergreen • Georgia PINES • http://gapines.org • 260 libraries in Georgia • Does not include municipal systems: Atlanta-Fulton County, Cobb County • Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES • Experimental evaluation • King County Library System in WA state. • Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada

  26. Evergreen

  27. Learning Access ILS • Learning Access Institute • Turnkey Open Source ILS • Designed for underserved rural public libraries • http://www.learningaccess.org

  28. LearningAccess ILS

  29. SCOOLS • South Central Organization of (School) Libraries • consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY • Koha derivative • Supported by Media Flex

  30. SCOOLS

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

  32. The Open Source Front • Index Data • Founded 1994; No ILS; A variety of other open source products to support libraries: search engines, federated search, Z39.50 toolkit, etc • LibLime • Founded 2005. Provides development and support services for Koha ILS. Acquired original developers of Koha in Feb 2007. • Equinox. • Founded Feb 2007; staff formerly associated with GPLS Pines development team • Care Affiliates • Founded June 2007; headed by industry veteran Carl Grant.

  33. LibLime • Small private company formed in early 2005 • Devoted to support of Koha and other open source software • Launched by individuals involved with the Koha implementation at the Nelsonville Public Library • Recently acquired the Koha activities of Katipo Communications (Feb 2007) • Total of 9-10 FTE

  34. Equinox Software • Small company • Devoted to facilitating libraries implement Evergreen the open source ILS developed for PINES • Launched by individuals related to the development and implementation of Evergreen at the Georgia Public Library System • Contracts to GPLS and other libraries for the ongoing development and support of Evergreen

  35. Care Affiliates • Recently formed company to provide support for Open Source library automation products. • Carl Grant – Former COO of VTLS, President of Ex Libris (USA), Innovative Interfaces, DRA, etc.

  36. Other Open Source Development efforts • Andrew W. Mellon foundation • Sponsoring project to design/build an enterprise level automation system for libraries in higher education • Effort will be led by Duke University

  37. Open Source Alternatives • Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors • Beginning to emerge as a practical option • TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model • Open Source still a risky Alternative • Commercial/Proprietary options also a risk

  38. Open source ILS Benchmarks • Most decisions to adopt Open Source ILS based on philosophical reasons • Open Source ILS will enter the main stream once its products begin to win through objective procurement processes • Hold open source ILS to the same standards as the commercial products • Hold the open source ILS companies to the same standards: • Adequate customer support ratios, financial stability, service level agreements, etc. • Well-document total cost of ownership statements that can be compared to other vendor price quotes

  39. Open Source Market share • Open Source ILS implementations still a very small percentage of the total picture • Initial set of successful implementations will likely serve as a catalyst to pave the way for others • Successful implementations in wider range of libraries: • State-wide consortium (Evergreen) • Multi-site public library systems (Koha) • School district consortia (OPALS-NA)

  40. Open Source perspective • Developer community still fairly small relative to that in place for infrastructure components (Linux, Apache, etc) • Are existing systems ready for large-scale enterprise implementations? • Functionality not yet in place for complex libraries? • Yet to break into ARL library arena • Enterprise operability?

More Related