IL2004 - Tuesday - 10:30 Open Source Library Automation Systems

Originally posted 2004-11-16.

Edward M. Corrado
Rider University Libraries

[still no wireless]

open source software vs free software

http://www.koha.org/
- first open-source Library Management System (LMS)
- translation made (or being made) into French
- under active development

http://www.emilda.org/
- developed in Finland by RealNode
- uses mainly PHP, MySQL, XML, Zebra, Yaz, Perl
- has internal messaging system e.g. “we have to shut down”
- 100% MARC compatible using Zebra

http://phpmylibrary.sourceforge.net/

mosly smaller library systems using these packages

http://obiblio.sourceforge.net/

Avanti MicroLCS
http://www.avantilibrarysystems.com/
- not as developed as the other systems
- 100% pure Java

PMB: phpmyibibli - has nice serials module

OSS digital library projects - Greenstone
data library management - Virtual Data Center

http://www.open-ils.org/
- Evergreen (system name)
- Georgia PINES libraries
- 249 libraries
- 7.7 million items
- 15 million items circulated in FY2003
- no existing system meets their needs
- tentative arrival date: June 2006

support
- commercial support is available
- developer support
- user community
- self-support

differences between OSS and proprietary LMS
- OSS not as complex
- OSS modules mostly web-based
- OSS easier to evaluate

not yet suited for large academic library

http://library.rider.edu/scholarly/ecorrado/il2004/