Advocating for Free and Open Source Software in Libraries
Explore the strategic advocacy for free and open-source software in libraries, focusing on the implementation of Koha at the University of West London. Discover the values of FOSS and OA principles, along with varying perceptions among library professionals. Gain insights into the benefits, risks, and motivations behind selecting FOSS in library environments.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Free and Open Source Software as Free Culture Tundun Folami Systems Librarian Andrew Preater Director of Library Services University of West London, UK #KohaCon22 | Lawrence, Kansas | 21 September 2022
Outline Free (libre) open source software (FOSS) and Open Access values Perceptions of FOSS in libraryland How we advocated strategically for FOSS Lessons from our Koha implementation at UWL How FOSS enables continuing professional development (CPD)
FOSS and OA values and principles FOSS are free cultural works in the domain of software Open access (OA) research and scholarship are free cultural works in the domain of higher education Freedom Defined Contributors (2022). Definition. [online] Free Cultural Works wiki. Available at: https://freedomdefined.org/Definition [Accessed: 19 September 2022].
Some perceptions of FOSS "Open Source attractive intellectually, but pragmatically we need strong vendor support having a tiny technical team in an under- resourced smallish remote/regional university." (Academic library, large collection size) "Our institutional ethos always tries to avoid open source and bespoke offering, based on many past experiences." (Academic library, large collection size) "Don't have staff or skills to maintain open source but have heard great things about Koha from small libraries." (Unknown library type, very small collection size) "I like open source as a concept. However, we do not currently have the necessary staffing expertise to set-up and maintain an open source product." (Academic library, medium collection size) Breeding, M. (2022) Library Perceptions 2022: Results of the 15th International Survey of Library Automation. Available at: https://librarytechnology.org/perceptions/2021/ [Accessed: 19 September 2022].
Strategic advocacy for FOSS We selected and implemented Koha supported by PTFS Europe in 2020 We did not set out to select FOSS UWL has a low risk appetite around activity that affect students' educational experiences Lowe, M. (2022) Risk appetite statement. Available at: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/about- us/policies-and-regulations/risk-appetite-statement [Accessed: 21 September 2022].
Strategic advocacy for FOSS Our business case was based on: Benefits to the institution Risk mitigation based on experience with non-free software Financials Lowe, M. (2022) Risk appetite statement. Available at: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/about- us/policies-and-regulations/risk-appetite-statement [Accessed: 21 September 2022].
Strategic advocacy for FOSS (2) Do you, or can you license your software to your customers under the same terms you enjoy yourself? For example, if your system contains software licensed under the Apache License, can you provide software derived from this to customers under the same license? Question used in soft market-testing procurement phase.
Practical implementation Success and challenges of implementation Support from PTFS Europe Data extraction Picking up skills Migrating systems during COVID-19 lockdown
How FOSS enables CPD Collaboration with other Koha users Community engagement
References Breeding, M. (2022) Library Perceptions 2022: Results of the 15th International Survey of Library Automation. Available at: https://librarytechnology.org/perceptions/2021/ [Accessed: 19 September 2022]. Free Cultural Works Contributors (2022). Definition. [online] Free Cultural Works wiki. Available at: https://freedomdefined.org/Definition [Accessed: 19 September 2022]. Lowe, M. (2022) Risk appetite statement. Available at: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/about-us/policies-and-regulations/risk-appetite- statement [Accessed: 21 September 2022].
Contact us Tundun Folami, Systems Librarian | tundun.folami@uwl.ac.uk| @_yomikoreadman Andrew Preater, Director of Library Services | andrew.preater@uwl.ac.uk | @preater
