Faster, stronger, cheaper and a hell of a lot cheaper…. in fact FREE! ‘Open Source’ software is a fantastic innovation which Libraries are embracing globally and will, I think, be the way of the future, as libraries become innovative with using/redesigning these programs.
The great thing about ‘Open Source’ is that it supplies the original coding (programming) software to users and this means you can modify the code to suit yourself: read it, change it, or even build new versions. This is not to be confused with ‘Free Software’ that is similar but doesn’t necessarily mean it is free. This refers to ‘freedom’ not actually to the cost. Users are free to use it but the ‘source code’ is not available.
Using Open Source software in libraries means there is no need to continually update software programs (which usually need patches or updated versions every 3 yrs or so). At times normal programs can have the support withdrawn or companies go out of business, resulting in a lot of headaches! Using Open Source software means large volumes of data can be managed, it is ‘technology neutral’ so it is suitable for Windows and Mac computers, it is constantly under peer review and there are already 100’s of libraries already using it. There is usually great feed-back from users and you can develop the program to adapt to your own needs. I believe it would be more reliable, perform better and be more secure than other programs.
With just the limited programs I have been using myself (sometimes not even realizing it) I have found Open Source software to be of real benefit.
Firefox is one which I particularly love as it seems to be much more reliable than Internet Explorer which at times struggles to load and refresh certain programs and applications. Firefox, along with Chrome are free and I find some programs such as Zotero run very well using these search engines. Library staff can assist their patrons by showing them faster, easier and more reliable ways of accessing information and streamlining their research skills. Zotero is one that I have found fabulous for organizing and saving information for bibliographies. It’s very versatile and is particularly good for students to assist their learning.
Wordpress and Blogspot along with other free blogging sites are wonderful for the novice to set up blogs and websites that are relatively easy to maneuver around with little experience. Of course if you want a more professional website you may like to invest money into having a more professional looking site and a more secure setup. Wiki’s are another great Open Source area where you can connect ‘globally’ at no cost. Schools are particularly good at getting their students to set up Wiki’s and blogs sharing and collaborating in projects globally. Koho is just one of many Open Source automated Library system which is based on Web 2 ideas that I’ve heard of.
The great thing about most of the Open Source software is that you can sync them to your computer, ipad, phone, laptop or whatever portable medium you may be using at the time and you are not limited to just one device. Some libraries are even using phone apps to allow patrons to be kept up-to-date. I can't think of many disadvantages but you do have to be sure your profile settings are set up properly, particularly if you don't want to be too public. Another would be organising/recording passwords and login info.
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