4 Additional Reading
In this section, the authors will add articles and further reading.
2023
An introduction to using metrics to assess the health and sustainability of library open source software projects
In LYRASIS 2021 Open Source Software Report: Understanding the Landscape of Open Source Software Support in American Libraries (Rosen & Grogg, 2021), responding libraries indicated the sustainability of OSS projects to be an important concern when making decisions about adoption. However, methods libraries might use to gather information about sustainability is not discussed. Metrics defined by the Linux Foundation’s CHAOSS project (https://chaoss.community/) are designed to measure the health and sustainability of open source software (OSS) communities and may be useful for libraries who are making decisions about adopting particular OSS applications. I demonstrate the use of cauldron.io as one method to gather and visualize the data for these metrics, and discuss the benefits and limitations of using them for decision-making.
Implementation of 3D printing in an open-source solution in an academic library
With the RepRap project (open-source 3D printer), the possibility of access to rapid prototyping became available for retail customers. From that moment, the market was created for the development of open-source technologies to support 3D printing at each stage of the process. Consequently, several software and devices for 3D printing have been created. This paper confirms the idea that 3DP can be implemented in academic libraries as an OS solution with the benefit of ensuring low costs while maintaining sufficient accuracy. In addition, it explains how to deploy these printers, either partially or fully, and the specific open-source software and hardware tools that are usually employed in these kinds of libraries.
The article is based on the author’s empirical experience while conducting classes with students in 3D printing and open-source technology and operating the 3DP laboratory at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Additional data were gleaned from 114 public and private university libraries in the USA offering 3D printing services.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102768
The future of open source is still very much in flux
In 1980, Xerox donated a laser printer to the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab, sparking a revolution when Richard M. Stallman, a programmer, tried to fix it but couldn’t due to proprietary software. This event led to the birth of the free and open-source software movement, with Stallman releasing GNU in 1983 as an alternative to proprietary Unix. Today, open-source software is crucial in the tech industry, with 96% of code bases incorporating it. GitHub, a leading platform, is used by millions of developers, and the US government recognizes open source as critical infrastructure. Corporations support open-source projects, although issues of diversity and funding persist. The movement has evolved from an ideological stance to a pragmatic one, accommodating commercial interests. However, there are concerns about companies “openwashing” proprietary work and not supporting user and creator rights. Diversity and funding issues remain, but efforts are underway to address them, including initiatives like Outreachy, open-source fundraising platforms, and philanthropic support. Ethical considerations, transparency, and responsible AI development are also vital concerns in open source. In the future, open source may offer a competitive advantage over proprietary efforts, but challenges in maintaining and governing open-source projects need to be addressed to ensure its continued success.”
Read more: https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/08/17/1077498/future-open-source/
Library Systems Report Published
“Most libraries still use proprietary software for their core systems. In the US, about 10% of academic libraries and 17% of public libraries use an open source integrated library system (ILS). But the barriers to these products—real and perceived—have largely collapsed. Functionality gaps have narrowed across major open source products like Koha, Evergreen, and now FOLIO, after long periods of development. To remain competitive, proprietary systems will have to deliver similar interoperability, innovation, and flexible APIs at moderate pricing. Ultimately, libraries will not choose products based on an abstract preference for a development model. The success of any product will depend on a vendor’s demonstrated performance in delivering exceptional customer service.”
Read more: https://www.infodocket.com/2023/05/01/2023-library-systems-report-released/
New Podcast From CNI: Empowering the Use of Open-Source Software for Research, a Conversation with Sayeed Choudhury
“Sayeed Choudhury is Director of the Open Source Programs Office at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. In this conversation, Choudhury discusses his new role—created to raise awareness of and stimulate collaboration among open-source projects across the university—and the impact of this new office on his institution.”
Listen here: https://www.infodocket.com/2023/05/02/new-podcast-from-cni-empowering-the-use-of-open-source-software-for-research-a-conversation-with-sayeed-choudhury/
2022
Open Systems in the age of Library Services Platforms: Meeting expectations for interoperability and extensibility
By Marshall Breeding
An interesting review of “openness” as a concept in software development and what that means for libraries. The author argues that API’s are the true measure of a software’s “openness” and that access to the source code is sufficient, even without the licenses to make that software “open source”. The article was funded by Ex Libris and ends with a note that “Ex Libris Alma is a mature product with over a decade of use by libraries and library consortia”. What do you think after reading this article? Do you feel that, despite being sponsored by Ex Libris (a vendor) that it followed “the same principles of objectivity as other works published by the author in other publications”?
How to Cite:
Breeding, Marshall. (2022). Open Systems in the age of Library Services Platforms: Meeting expectations for interoperability and extensibility. Library Technology Guides (), https://librarytechnology.org/document/27160/
Digital Commons to Hyku: An Institutional Repository Migration at a Small Liberal Arts University
Introduction: Pacific University Libraries has had an institutional repository since 2009, when it selected Digital Commons to host a collection of theses and dissertations. Since then, the scope of the services has grown to include publishing open access journals as well as housing the books published by Pacific University Press—a library-born, hybrid, open access press. As our needs have changed, and with Elsevier’s acquisition of bepress in 2017, the University migrated from bepress’ Digital Commons platform to an open source Hyku platform hosted by Ubiquity Repositories. Description of Program: As the first academic institution working with Ubiquity Repositories on migration and implementation, we were involved in the process of data extraction, normalization, mapping, ingest, and validation. Lessons Learned: We learned the importance of having a mutual understanding of a platform’s goals, data structure and mapping, and standards in implementation decisions. Next Steps: As higher education continues to adapt to the changes brought by COVID-19, it has never seemed more important to utilize platforms that share the values of libraries worldwide. We hope that migrating to an open source platform will be a step toward more open scholarship, despite the current challenges and resource scarcity brought about by the pandemic.
How to Cite:
Baird, L. & Meetz, J., (2022) “Digital Commons to Hyku: An Institutional Repository Migration at a Small Liberal Arts University”, Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication 10(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/jlsc.12916
Penn State University: IST Academic Search Engine ‘CiteSeerX’ Awarded ‘Best Open Source Project’ by British Computer Society (BCS)
CiteSeerX, one of the world’s earliest open source academic search engines and based in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), has been recognized by the Information Retrieval Specialist Group of the British Computer Society (BCS) as the Best Open Source Project as part of its 2021 Search Industry Awards.
Read more here.
Janeway: A Twenty-First Century Open Access Publishing Platform
Janeway is an open-source, open-access, modern scholarly communications platform built with usability and speed in mind. For an early look aat Janeway, look at the article Andy Byers and I wrote for Insights in 2018, “Janeway: A Scholarly Communications Platform”. Based in the Centre for Technology and Publishing at the University of London’s Birkbeck College, we decided, four years ago, that we wanted control of our workflows. We thus entered into respectful competition with other providers in this space, most notably Open Journal Systems.
Read more here.
2021
An empirical examination of open source software adoption in US public libraries
Purpose: Similarly to Choi and Pruett (2019), which addressed open source software (OSS) adoption in the academic library context, this study aims to examine barriers and drivers to OSS adoption and to provide a snapshot of the current state of OSS adoption in US public libraries. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey of the public library staff members who oversee information systems/technology in their library was conducted. A total number of 288 valid responses were used for data analysis. Findings: A range of barriers and drivers to OSS adoption in US public libraries were revealed, but, unlike academic libraries, awareness was found to be a barrier. Additionally, the vast majority of the non-adopters showed very low levels of OSS adoption intent in the near future, more than that which was indicated by academic libraries. Practical implications: Several practical implications tailored for public libraries are provided, such as promoting OSS awareness among public libraries in rural and town areas, the importance of the initial trial/adoption and funding and marketing towards public libraries with small service population sizes and so on. Originality/value: Following Choi and Pruett (2019) which examined OSS adoption in the academic library context, this study conducted a similar online survey with US public libraries and made several contributions to the literature and to the public library field.
How to Cite:
Choi, N. (2021), “An empirical examination of open source software adoption in US public libraries”, The Electronic Library, Vol. 39 No. 5, pp. 695-712. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-01-2021-0013
2017
The Dilemma of Collective Action and the 2.5% Proposal
In February of 2017, John Wenzler wrote about the dilemma of collective action in relation to the scholarly infrastructure. In this theory, the benefits and savings of new technologies require a level of coordination that is impossible no matter how obvious the benefits are [1]. It is difficult for libraries to argue that money or time should be diverted away from local needs, which hinders their ability to work toward collective action. Open-source software, however, is an example of how the “dilemma of collective action” can be overcome, at least in specific circumstances. In a perfect world, libraries with programmers on staff would group together to develop the perfect library software that other libraries would use. They would all choose one project and put all their efforts into it, make it work for the whole community, and make it as cheap and easy to run as possible. To support this, David Lewis wrote a response that suggests every academic library put 2.5% of their budget toward the development of open-source software to create a common infrastructure [2]. It remains to be seen if this approach is the best solution for libraries, but it does show that open-source software still holds some potential to be a conduit for change in the library world.
