Open library system – a new perspective**. Ken Chad. Higher Education Library Technology [HELibTech] Briefing Paper No. 7, May 2022.

In the last decade or so open source software became a defining factor in how librarians perceived ‘open’ library systems. Open source library systems such as Koha gained market share were often seen in terms of a ‘battle’ with the more common proprietary solutions. With the rise of cloud computing, software ‘platforms’ have come to dominate. Because the solution is hosted in the cloud, rather than implemented on local servers, the underlying technology becomes of less concern. These platforms, including Library Services Platforms (LSPs) typically embrace open source components and combine them with proprietary solutions. The value of a ‘platform’, as opposed to a software ‘product’ comes not only from its own features, but from its ability to connect to external solutions, data, and processes. To do this it needs to be ‘open’ in terms of data and the ability to integrate, via (typically open) application programming Interfaces (APIs), with other products which may be developed by customers or provided by other independent software vendors (ISVs). This, open interoperability, perspective is now a more fruitful way to consider open library systems.

The Benefits of Open Source for Libraries
By Ben Showers. Jisc 10 September 2013
From the post:
What are the main benefits to the library of adopting open source? There are some well known benefits that open source could bring to libraries, these include:
• Lower costs: Open source offers a lower total cost of ownership than traditional library systems. There are none of the traditional license costs associated with open source. Libraries are able take advantage of the reduced costs the cloud offers by reducing local support and hosting costs (if it is supported and hosted by a third party).
• No lock-in: Libraries are, in a sense, removed from the traditional lock-in associated with library systems. There is a greater opportunity to pick and choose components, and take advantage of what is, generally, better interoperability with open source solutions. Related to this is also the idea that open source is more sustainable: If a vendor goes out of business the software may disappear or be sold-on. With open it is always available, and there is usually a community involved in it to continue its development.
• Adaptation and Innovation: Connected to the above is the greater capacity that libraries have to innovate with open systems and software. There is no need to await the next update or release, instead in either isolation or collaboratively, can develop the functionality required. This enables much more agile services and systems, as well as ensuring user expectations are exceeded.
• A richer library systems ecosystem: A less direct impact of open source is a richer library systems ecosystem. This is both in terms of the library solutions available (a healthier marketplace with both proprietary and open solutions) and in terms of collaboration and engagement between libraries themselves. Libraries are able to collaborate and share code on the functionality and fixes they require. Indeed, there are open source systems such as Evergreen, which were developed as an open source library system for a consortial approach.

While these benefits are the headline grabbing ones, it might be argued there are more subtle, but none the less powerful benefits in the adoption of open source in libraries, especially within higher and further education. There are broader trends and themes emerging (and some fairly well entrenched) within the new information environment that make open source particularly timely for libraries. These developments include: open (linked) data; managing research data; open scholarship and science; Open content such as OERs; crowdsourcing, and, of course, open access. Open source solutions for the library fit very well into this broader open momentum affecting the academic world at present. Away from the academic world it is difficult not to notice the close correlation between the open, learning, sharing and peer-production culture libraries embody and that of the open source culture.So it may be that one of the greatest benefits of adopting open source is that it mirrors the very philosophy and values of the library itself.

Free and Open Source software and cultural change, at Library Camp 2012. By Andrew Preater (@preater). October 2012
Andrew focusses on the cultural issues…from the blog post:-
'However, in the broader cultures of higher education we face various problems. In some ways the Four Freedoms are in opposition to the broader organizational culture we work in. We identify points of tension for universities and libraries as collaborative organizations working within power structures that do not necessarily agree with or support a collaborative approach. This is especially the case in our current political and financial climate, where increased competition between institutions will to an extent mitigate against a collaborative culture.'

A useful and recent (June 2010) that sets the scene and covers some of the core issues: What is Open Source? Why use it and who benefits. Keynote from Ken Chad at the UK e-information Group (UKeiG) annual seminar on 16 June 2010. Judith Hegenbarth, Academic Support Team Manager at the University of Birmingham has written a full meeting report

At present only one HE library (University of Staffordshire) in the UK is has signed up for or implemented an Open Source LMS, although some (such as LSE use the Open Source VuFInd 'Discovery Service' to supplement their LMS OPAC. The SWWHEP consortium in Swansea) VuFind implementation is now in full use and can be viewed as the primary OPAC interface at Swansea University at https://ifind.swwhep.ac.uk/.

Blacklight is a free and open source Vertical search/discovery interface (a.k.a. “next-generation catalogue”) especially optimized for heterogeneous collections. You can use it as a library catalogue, as a front end for a digital repository, or as a single-search interface to aggregate digital content that would otherwise be siloed.
What are some of the features? Blacklight uses solr, an enterprise-scale index for its search engine. Blacklight features faceted browsing, relevance based searching (with the ability to locally control the relevancy algorithms), bookmarkable items, permanent URLs for every item, user tagging of items.
Who uses it? The University of Virginia Library and Stanford University Library are the primary development partners

eXtensible Catalog comprises four software components that can be used independently to address a particular need or combined to provide an end-to-end discovery system to connect library users with resources

EBSCO Supports New Open Source Project. Software for academic libraries will be developed collaboratively. By Marshall Breeding American Libraries. April 22, 2016
“Developers and librarians are working together to create a radically new, open source library services platform (LSP) aimed at transforming the technology academic libraries rely on. Backed by a multimillion-dollar contribution from EBSCO Information Services, the participants plan to fast-track production of the software, with early versions available by early 2018.If the yet-unnamed project sticks to its schedule and finds interest as lively as expected, it could open a new chapter in library technology at least as important as the advent of LSPs and the recent rounds of major company mergers and acquisitions.”

Currently the two most prominent open source LMS options are Koha (koha-community.org) and Evergreen (evergreen-ils.org). Koha is used internationally by thousands of libraries of all kinds. It is entirely web-based. Evergreen is used primarily in the US although it is starting to gain traction outside of the US.Both are supported by an assortment of services providers, have links to live demo systems, and provide the software for downloading.

Project website: http://evergreen-ils.org
Support Providers: http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=faqs:evergreen_companies
Demo Systems: http://evergreen-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=community_servers
Supported in the UK by:-
PTFS Europe (http://www.ptfs-europe.com/)
Contact:
Nick Dimant
Managing Director
PTFS Europe
mailto:nick.dimant@ptfs-europe.com
Mobile: +44 (0)7966 571704

Project website: http://koha-community.org/
Support Providers: http://koha-community.org/support/paid-support/
Demo Systems: http://koha-community.org/demo
Supported in the UK by:-
PTFS Europe (http://www.ptfs-europe.com/)
Contact:
Nick Dimant
Managing Director
PTFS Europe
mailto:nick.dimant@ptfs-europe.com
Mobile: +44 (0)7966 571704

Kuali OLE 'is the first system designed by and for academic and research libraries for managing and delivering intellectual information.
A community of partners will deliver an enterprise-ready, community-source software package to manage and provide access not only to items in their collections but also to licensed and local digital content. Kuali OLE (pronounced oh-LAY, for Open Library Environment) features a governance model in which the entire library community can collaborate to own the resulting intellectual property.'

Open source solutions for Electronic Resource management are not so widely adopted for the management of e-resources and for print (ie LMS/ILS). Here are some examples:

Simon Fraser University, Canada
http://researcher.sfu.ca/cufts/erm
ppraisal of reSearcher suite by University College Cork reSearcher_ERM_suite_appraisal_by UCCork_May2012.pdf

University of Notre Dame, Indiana, US
http://erm.library.nd.edu/

University of Wisconsin La Crosse
http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/erm/
http://ermesblog.wess.com/
Brief review: 'Open source ERM through ERMes' By Alexander Kouker. Libfocus blog 29 June 2012

State University of North Carolina
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/e-matrix/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1qhZaZbg_o

LORLS (Loughborough University) LORLS (Loughborough Online Reading List System) is a reading list management system developed by the Systems Team at Loughborough University Library and made available as open source. LORLS has been in use since June 2000 and recently has gone through a complete redevelopment. (See Redeveloping the Loughborough Online Reading List System. By Dr Jon Knight, Dr Jason Cooper and Gary Brewerton, 28 July 2012.)

How to Choose an Free and Open Source Integrated Library System,
By Tristan Müller. OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives. Vol. 27, no. 1, 2011, pp. 57- 78.
From the paper:-

'Findings: More than 20 open source ILS’s were submitted to this methodology but only 3 passed all the steps: Evergreen, Koha, and PMB. The main goal is not to identify the best open source ILS, but rather to highlight which, from the batch of dozen open source ILS, librarians and decision makers can choose from without worrying about how perennial or sustainable each open or free project is, as well as understanding which ILS provides them with the functionalities to meet the needs of their institutions.'
Open Source Open LibrariesEdgy Librarian 27th January 2011
Useful Q & A on open source for libraries

Open Source open librariesUS website 'empower libraries and library consortia by encouraging participation and collaboration in open source software products generally, and encouraging them to consider an Open Source Library System such as Koha or Evergreen'. Have useful links to things like features of systems and updates on implementations and issues

Breaking down the barriers for open source library systems
(link to full text)
By Ken Chad. Ken Chad Consulting Ltd
This article was originally published in CILIP Library+Information Gazette in April 2009

“Surveying Higher Education (HE) in 2007, the JISC and SCONUL commissioned study on the Library management Systems (LMS) Market revealed no appetite to move to Open Source LMSs. ‘No respondents thought that it was likely that they would adopt an Open Source LMS’. Public libraries took a similar stance. A debate in August 2007 on the public library discussion list, LIS-PUB-LIBS uncovered, no enthusiasm for an open source LMS. One respondent commented, 'Open Source' is “not yet” for libraries - we need a watching brief'.'Indeed the JISC/SCONUL LMS study came to a similar conclusion and in the section of the report entitled Making Decisions it recommended that libraries, ‘keep a watch on Open Source development’ Two years on and attitudes are changing. In April 2009 Karl Drinkwater, E-learning Adviser for the JISC Regional Support Centre Wales summarised (on the LIS-LINK listserve) some of the results of his investigations into Open Source. ‘It seems that a lot of institutions are considering the open source LMS route - most of those that responded were at this consideration stage, rather than implementation’.

**PTFS Europe** provides the services needed to implement the Koha and Evergreen Library Management Systems. http://www.ptfs-europe.com/

**Turo Technology LLP** is a partnership of workers called software.coop. It is “computer-related services” worker cooperative http://www.software.coop/

There are software-specific lists of Koha support providers and Evergreen support providers on their sites.