This document provides an overview of open source and proprietary software for libraries, including definitions, advantages and disadvantages of each, examples of open source library systems, and resources for deciding if open source is right for a particular library. It discusses how open source software can be customized, supported by the community or companies, and has faster development, but may have less support and documentation than proprietary systems. Resources listed provide information on specific open source systems like Evergreen and Koha, the FOSS4LIB organization, and articles comparing open source and proprietary options.

1. Ann Marie Pipkin
Tatum Preston
Kevin Goff

2. • Definition of Open Source and Proprietary
• Advantages and Disadvantages of both
• Open Source Products
• Deciding if Open Source is for YOU
• Resources

3. • Open source is a number of things. It is a class of
licenses, a culture, a community, and a way of producing
and sharing software. It is not to be confused with free
software, although the two movements share many
objectives.
• Proprietary software is not normally distributed as source
code but as compiled programs so that one cannot see
what the code does. It would normally be only supported
by the company that manufactured it which can lead to
vendor lockin.
--Bob Molyneux in his "An Open Source ILS Glossary."

4. • Can be customized to fit your needs
• If you need support, it is available through the community
or through a company
• Fast development - “release early, release often”
• Cost—it's free…well, almost.

5. • What kind of support are you willing to put up with?
• It's free but it may not be cheap

6. • Supported by the company you buy it from
• Turnkey
• Support and documentation better
• Fewer software problems
• A successful model

7. • “Supported by the company you buy it from (can be bad if it is
the only option because of potential vendor lockin.)”
• “Slow development cycle which may have difficulty balancing
the requirements of various users. For instance, what happens
if your vendor will not develop something you require?”
• “Some vendors have been bought by firms that don't know the
industry and support and development have suffered”

8. • Evergreen http://www.open-ils.org/
• Koha http://www.koha.org/
• OPALS http://www.mediaflex.net/
• OpenBiblio http://obiblio.sourceforge.net/
• NewGenLib http://www.verussolutions.biz/
• ILS (LA ILS)
http://www.learningaccess.org/ils-system/
• Dspace http://www.dspace.org/

9. “But a migration to a new ILS is a complicated undertaking-
-whether proprietary or open source--and unexpected
difficulties, such as costs and support issues, can arise.”
-- "Open Source Reality Check.“ by David Rapp

10. • Created with funding from The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation by LYRASIS Technology Services to help
libraries decide if and which open source software is right
for them in service to their patrons.
• This site has the content and the community to help you
with those decisions.

11. General Information
Open Source Initiative
http://opensource.org/
"An Open Source ILS Glossary" by Bob Molyneux
http://blog.esilibrary.com/2010/06/23/an-open-source-ils-
glossary-html-format/
Glossary of Open Source Software and Open Data Standards
http://www.cospa-project.org/Assets/resources/glossary.pdf

12. Open Source Software
Evergreen
http://open-ils.org/
Evergreen demo
http://open-
ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=community_servers
Koha site
http://www.koha.org/
Koha demo
http://koha-community.org/demo/
OPALS
http://help.opalsinfo.net/
OPALS demo
http://cogent.opalsinfo.net

13. Additional Information
Open Source Software in Libraries
http://foss4lib.org/
Decision Support Tools
http://foss4lib.org/decision-support
Costs of Open Source Software Tool
http://foss4lib.org/decision-support/costs-of-open-source-
software
Free Webinar
http://foss4lib.org/content/free-webinars-introducing-foss4lib
--Moderated by Peter Murray

14. SlideShare
Open Source Library Management Software by Ann Marie
Pipkin, Tatum Preston, Kevin Goff
http://www.slideshare.net/apipkin/open-source-library-
management-software
Open Source Slide show ( comparison )
http://www.slideshare.net/vimal0212/open-source-library-
management-systems
Introduction to FOSS4LIB
"Helping Libraries Decide IF and WHICH Open Source
Software is Right for Them."
http://www.slideshare.net/DataGazetteer/introduction-to-
foss4lib

15. Articles
Breeding, Marshall. "Agents Of Change." Library Journal 137.6 (2012): 30-36.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=74090077&site=eh
ost-live.
Breeding, Marshall. "Open source ILS continues to expand." Smart Libraries
Newsletter Apr.
2011: 2+. General OneFile. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA254754450&v=2.1&u=avlr&it=r&p=IT
OF&sw=w.
Breeding, Marshall. “Perceptions 2011: An International Survey of Library
Automation” Library Technology Guides. 28 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012
http://www.librarytechnology.org/perceptions2011.pl.
Breeding, Marshall. "The New Frontier. (Cover Story)." Library Journal 136.6 (2011):
24-34.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=59800713&site=eh
ost-live.

16. Brice, John J. "Open Source Lessons." Library Journal 136.15 (2011): 9. Academic
Search
Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=65806682&site=eh
ost-live.
Devaney, Laura. “ Why Open-source Library software is a Trend.” eSchool News .
21st Century
Libraries,Top News . 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2009/04/10/why-open-source-library-software-is-a-
trend/.
Emmawat, Patt, et al. “Open Source Library Management System Software: A
Review.” World
Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 77 (2011): 973-978. Web. 12 Apr.
2012. http://www.waset.org/journals/waset/v77/v77-178.pdf
Farkas, Meredith. "Open Source, Open Mind." American Libraries 42.9/10 (2011): 36.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=66630451&site=eh
ost-live.
McDermott, Irene E. "A Small Public Library Goes Open Source." Searcher 20.1

17. Müller, Tristan. "How To Choose A Free And Open Source Integrated Library
System." OCLC Systems & Services 27.1 (2011): 57-78. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=58488917&site=e
host-live.
"open source." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic
Edition.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1017825/open-source .
"Open Source ILS Launched In Military Installations." Library Journal 136.14 (2011):
21-22.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=65255707&site=e
host-live.
Rapp, David. "Open Source Reality Check." Library Journal 136.13 (2011): 34-36.
Academic
Search Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=64501647&site=e
host-live.
Reynolds, Veronica. "Who Doesn't Like A Good Bargain?." Eventdv 24.10 (2011):

18. Yang, Sharon Q., and Melissa A. Hofmann. "The Next Generation Library Catalog: A
Comparative Study Of The Opacs Of Koha, Evergreen, And Voyager." Information
Technology & Libraries 29.3 (2010): 141-150. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10
Apr. 2012.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=52871763&site=eh
ost-live.