Open Source Software for Libraries Issues for Large Scale libraries Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University Library and Archives Canada December 7, 2007

Open Source Software Broad Trends

IT Infrastructure Linux Linux Apache Apache –Lucene –Solr MySql MySql PostgreSQL PostgreSQL

Apache Foundation The Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open- source software projects. The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus based development process, an open and pragmatic software license, and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. We consider ourselves not simply a group of projects sharing a server, but rather a community of developers and users. The Apache Software Foundation provides support for the Apache community of open- source software projects. The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus based development process, an open and pragmatic software license, and a desire to create high quality software that leads the way in its field. We consider ourselves not simply a group of projects sharing a server, but rather a community of developers and users.Apache projectsApache projects

Web Server deployment Source: Netcraft

Operating System Market Share IDC figures for OS on new server shipments 3Q 2007: IDC figures for OS on new server shipments 3Q 2007: Windows Server: 67.1% Windows Server: 67.1% Linux: 22.8% Linux: 22.8% –Slight gain for Windows/loss for Linux over previous quarter

Trends Open Source Software well established in for general IT infrastructure Open Source Software well established in for general IT infrastructure Linux emerging as the dominant flavor of Unix Linux emerging as the dominant flavor of Unix Commercial options continue to prosper Commercial options continue to prosper

Open Source Library Software (non-ILS)

General Infrastructure Components Index Data Index Data –YAZ toolkit  Z39.50  SRU/W –Zebra XML Search Engine –Metaproxy  “metasearching proxy front end server for integrating access to multiple back-end Z compliant databases”

Open source software from OCLC Several OAI utilities Several OAI utilities –OAIcat –OAIHarvester SRU/W SRU/W OpenURL 1.0 OpenURL 1.0 Pears: text storage and indexing Pears: text storage and indexing

Digital Repository Applications

Fedora Open source digital repository engine Open source digital repository engine Not an out-of-the-box solution Not an out-of-the-box solution –Many organizations have developed their own interfaces and applications built on top of Fedora VTLS Vital product based on Fedora VTLS Vital product based on Fedora Supported by Fedora Commons Supported by Fedora Commons –

Dspace Institutional Repository Application Institutional Repository Application Originally developed by Hewlett Packard and MIT Originally developed by Hewlett Packard and MIT Widely deployed by Universities for institutional repository projects Widely deployed by Universities for institutional repository projects

Keystone Developed by Index Data Developed by Index Data Open source digital repository application Open source digital repository application –Digital content management –Federated search –OAI harvesting –Link resolver services

LibraryFind Open source federated search Open source federated search Built-in OpenURL resolver Built-in OpenURL resolver 3-teired caching 3-teired caching Customizable interface Customizable interface Developed by the University of Oregon Libraries Developed by the University of Oregon Libraries

Open source discovery products Aka: Next Generation Catalogs

VUFind – Villanova University Based on Apache Solr search toolkit

eXtensible Catalog University of Rochester – River Campus Libraries University of Rochester – River Campus Libraries Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation –Just received a second round of funding from Mellon  $283,000 (April 2006)  $749,000 (October 2007) –Wider institutional participation

Fac-Back-OPAC Initially developed Dan Scott Laurentian University Initially developed Dan Scott Laurentian University Further work by Casey Durfee at the Seattle Public Library Further work by Casey Durfee at the Seattle Public Library Based on: Based on: –MARCXML –Solr –Django (Python-based Web application framework)

Open Source in the ILS arena Products and trends

Koha: first Open Source ILS Koha + Index Data Zebra = Koha ZOOM Koha + Index Data Zebra = Koha ZOOM Components: Components: –Perl –Apache –MySql –Zebra: search engine option for larger installations

Libraries using Koha ~300 (mostly small) libraries Horowhenua Library Trust ~300 (mostly small) libraries Horowhenua Library Trust Nelsonville Public Library Nelsonville Public Library –Athens County, OH Crawford County Federated Library System Crawford County Federated Library System –10 Libraries in PA Howard County, MD Howard County, MD –Service area population: –4.7 million circulation transactions in 2006 –1 million volumes Central Kansas Library System Central Kansas Library System Near East University Library Near East University Library –1.5 million volumes

Koha

Evergreen Developed by the Georgia Public Library Service Developed by the Georgia Public Library Service Small development team Small development team June 2004 – development begins June 2004 – development begins Sept 5, 2006 – live production Sept 5, 2006 – live production Streamlined environment: single shared implementation, all libraries follow the same policies, one library card Streamlined environment: single shared implementation, all libraries follow the same policies, one library card

Libraries using Evergreen Georgia PINES Georgia PINES – 260 libraries in Georgia 260 libraries in Georgia –Does not include municipal systems: Atlanta-Fulton County, Cobb County Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES Province of British Columbia in Canada – Northern PINES Experimental evaluation Experimental evaluation –King County Library System in WA state. Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada Under consideration by academic libraries in Canada

Evergreen

Learning Access ILS Learning Access Institute Learning Access Institute Turnkey Open Source ILS Turnkey Open Source ILS Designed for underserved rural public libraries Designed for underserved rural public libraries

LearningAccess ILS

SCOOLS South Central Organization of (School) Libraries South Central Organization of (School) Libraries consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY consortium of K-12 school libraries in NY Koha derivative Koha derivative Supported by Media Flex Supported by Media Flex

SCOOLS

Commercial Involvement Companies formed to support open source library products

The Open Source Front Index Data Index Data –Founded 1994; No ILS; A variety of other open source products to support libraries: search engines, federated search, Z39.50 toolkit, etc LibLime LibLime –Founded Provides development and support services for Koha ILS. Acquired original developers of Koha in Feb Equinox. Equinox. –Founded Feb 2007; staff formerly associated with GPLS Pines development team Care Affiliates Care Affiliates –Founded June 2007; headed by industry veteran Carl Grant.

LibLime Small private company formed in early 2005 Small private company formed in early 2005 Devoted to support of Koha and other open source software Devoted to support of Koha and other open source software Launched by individuals involved with the Koha implementation at the Nelsonville Public Library Launched by individuals involved with the Koha implementation at the Nelsonville Public Library Recently acquired the Koha activities of Katipo Communications (Feb 2007) Recently acquired the Koha activities of Katipo Communications (Feb 2007) Total of 9-10 FTE Total of 9-10 FTE

Equinox Software Small company Small company Devoted to facilitating libraries implement Evergreen the open source ILS developed for PINES Devoted to facilitating libraries implement Evergreen the open source ILS developed for PINES Launched by individuals related to the development and implementation of Evergreen at the Georgia Public Library System Launched by individuals related to the development and implementation of Evergreen at the Georgia Public Library System Contracts to GPLS and other libraries for the ongoing development and support of Evergreen Contracts to GPLS and other libraries for the ongoing development and support of Evergreen

Care Affiliates Recently formed company to provide support for Open Source library automation products. Recently formed company to provide support for Open Source library automation products. Carl Grant – Former COO of VTLS, President of Ex Libris (USA), Innovative Interfaces, DRA, etc. Carl Grant – Former COO of VTLS, President of Ex Libris (USA), Innovative Interfaces, DRA, etc.

Other Open Source Development efforts Andrew W. Mellon foundation Andrew W. Mellon foundation Sponsoring project to design/build an enterprise level automation system for libraries in higher education Sponsoring project to design/build an enterprise level automation system for libraries in higher education Effort will be led by Duke University Effort will be led by Duke University

Open Source Alternatives Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors Explosive interest in Open Source driven by disillusionment with current vendors Beginning to emerge as a practical option Beginning to emerge as a practical option TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model TOC (Total Cost of Ownership) still roughly equal to proprietary commercial model Open Source still a risky Alternative Open Source still a risky Alternative Commercial/Proprietary options also a risk Commercial/Proprietary options also a risk

Open source ILS Benchmarks Most decisions to adopt Open Source ILS based on philosophical reasons Most decisions to adopt Open Source ILS based on philosophical reasons Open Source ILS will enter the main stream once its products begin to win through objective procurement processes Open Source ILS will enter the main stream once its products begin to win through objective procurement processes –Hold open source ILS to the same standards as the commercial products –Hold the open source ILS companies to the same standards:  Adequate customer support ratios, financial stability, service level agreements, etc. Well-document total cost of ownership statements that can be compared to other vendor price quotes Well-document total cost of ownership statements that can be compared to other vendor price quotes

Open Source Market share Open Source ILS implementations still a very small percentage of the total picture Open Source ILS implementations still a very small percentage of the total picture Initial set of successful implementations will likely serve as a catalyst to pave the way for others Initial set of successful implementations will likely serve as a catalyst to pave the way for others Successful implementations in wider range of libraries: Successful implementations in wider range of libraries: –State-wide consortium (Evergreen) –Multi-site public library systems (Koha) –School district consortia (OPALS-NA)

Open Source perspective Developer community still fairly small relative to that in place for infrastructure components (Linux, Apache, etc) Developer community still fairly small relative to that in place for infrastructure components (Linux, Apache, etc) Are existing systems ready for large-scale enterprise implementations? Are existing systems ready for large-scale enterprise implementations? Functionality not yet in place for complex libraries? Functionality not yet in place for complex libraries? –Yet to break into ARL library arena Enterprise operability? Enterprise operability?