This document discusses the advantages and considerations of using open source integrated library systems (ILS) service providers compared to proprietary vendors. It highlights the flexibility of choosing different providers for hosting, support, and development, as well as the importance of community resources. Key criteria for selecting service providers include reliability, positive community engagement, and the ability to meet specific support needs.

1. LORI BOWEN AYRE
LIB R A RY TEC H N OLOGY C ON SU LTA N T
TH E GA LEC IA GR OU P
L O R I . AY R E @ G A L E C I A . C O M
SUPPORTING SERVICES AND
CARE
NISO Virtual Conference: Using Open Source in Your Institution: 02.17.16

2. OPEN SOURCE ILS SERVICE
PROVIDERS PROVIDE THE SAME
SERVICES AS PROPRIETARY ILS
VENDORS
….AND MORE

3. SERVICES PROVIDED BY VENDORS
AND SERVICE PROVIDERS
Proprietary ILS Vendor
• Migration
• Implementation
• Training
• Support
• Hosting
• Access to User
Community
Open Source Service
Providers
• Migration
• Implementation
• Training
• Support
• Hosting
• Access to User
Community
• Development

4. UNIQUE ASPECTS OF WORKING WITH
OPEN SOURCE SERVICE PROVIDERS
 Choices
• Can use one provider for hosting and support and another for
development
• Can switch from one provider to another without giving up your
ILS
 Community
• Open source community is another resource that is much more
than a “user group”
• Your Service Provider may be your library’s primary link to the
larger open source community – but it doesn’t have to be

5. CHOOSING SERVICE PROVIDERS
• Criteria depends on service
• Hosting: verify reliable and secure platform with solid
back-up and disaster recovery capabilities
• Development: make sure they have a positive history
with the developers and user community and have had
their work accepted into the core code
• Support: check references and ratings in Marshall
Breeding Perceptions survey; make sure they can
provide the level of support you need

6. SUPPORT AND CARE MODELS
• The Proprietary ILS Vendor Model: migration,
implementation, support, training
• Service Provider is your primary connection to the user community
• Hosting and Second Level Support: provides stable platform
for keeping the system up-to-date with current releases
• acts as Second Level support as needed beyond community support
• may use other service providers for training, development, etc.
• Second Level Support Only: provide support as needed
• requires IT Department if self-hosting
• common scenario for consortia providing shared ILS