Indian Journal of Library and Information Science285 Volume 8 Number 3, September - December 2014 Review Article Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: A Comparative Study

Rajendra Singh

AbstractIntroduction and Keywords are not provided. users expecting online libraries that can provide round the clock service. “Library users have grown accustomed to using the Internet Why computerized information management is as a research tool and do not always appreciate required? the difference in quality of information Developments in electronic and available through a library’s specialized communication technology have affected every collections, especially when compared to what profession in the past decades and libraries are can be located through an Internet search no exception. Libraries of all types are engine. Thus, libraries with substantial challenged to provide greater information collections of information often find those access and improved levels of service, while collections underutilized if the user interface coping with the pace of technological change is not designed to make it easy to locate the and ever-increasing budget pressure. Use of required information.” software applications in libraries has become Resource Sharing: Libraries of all types also essential due to a number of factors. The most need to utilize new application systems to visible factors among them are: automate resource sharing. Union Catalogs Growth of Electronic Resources: Large and Libraries in developing countries are in databases from periodical, magazine, and phase of development and require lot of journal publishers became increasingly resources to achieve well organized knowledge available in digital format – at first on CD- platform. Thanks to open source software ROM, later via online services. Library services efforts which have made developing libraries are transitioning from local traditional competent to meet the international collections to global resources provided on challenges. Now these days many open source demand via the most advanced networking technologies are available which have been technologies. Today, library collections are used deployed successfully in Indian libraries. Now by people on campus as well as by individuals web has become a platform foe delivery of who are not even located on the library’s infrastructure, software and platform services. physical facilities. Such services are called computing in the Anytime Anywhere Access: Access to online cloud. Of course such cloud services are digital information from anywhere is the need alternative to the conventional web system. of the hour. This is forcing a shift in role of library from a repository to a gateway, with Open Source Initiative – NewGenlib and Koha NewGenlib

Author’s Affilation: *Deputy Librarian, Satonsh University, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Introduction Reprint’s Request: Rajendra Singh, L-401, Sector-12, Pratap Vihar, Santosh Medical and Dental College Staff Flats, NewGenlib is an integrated library Ghaziabad-201009, Uttar Pradesh, India. management system developed by Verus E-mail: [email protected] Solutions Pvt Ltd. Domain expertise is provided by Kesavan Institute of Information and

Volume© Red Flower8 Number Publication 3, September Pvt. Ltd. - December 2014 286 Rajendra Singh / Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: A Comparative Study

Knowledge Management in Hyderabad, cataloguing templates. India. NewGenLib version 1.0 was released in • Mail Server: SMTP mail servers can be March 2005. On 9 January 2008, NewGenlib configured for emails that can be sent was declared Open Source Software under form functional modules. A special GNU GPL. The latest version of NewGenlib is provision of smtp mail server th 3.0.4 released 1 update 2 on 4 March configuration is given for Gmail users in 2013. Many libraries across the globe (mainly modern version of NewGenlib. from the developing countries) are using NewGenLib as their Primary integrated library • Open Access Compatibility: NewGenlib management system. The system can run on open source allows creation of windows xp, and Ubnutu 8.0 or above Institutional open access (OA) distributions. repositories compliant with the OAI- PMH. • Compatibility: NewGenlib open Salient Features of NewGenLib Open Source source is Unicode 3.0 compliant. Software • RFID Technology: It is RFID ready.

• Licensing: It is open source under the most widely used open source software Technology and Architecture Licensing system called GNU GPL NewGenlib is integrated Library (General Public License). management system that runs on computer • Source Code & User Manual: The open through network of computers. Although source binaries and source code can be internet is important component for this downloaded. Installation notes for Linux software yet it can run on local area network and Windows are also available at the without support of internet, but in lack of site. The user manual is also internet many important features of the downloadable. software cannot be utilized. These important features are Sms and email functionality in • User’s Feedback: The users of the software circulation module. Marc data import facility can post their feedback with views, in cataloging modules etc. many other features problems, solutions, discussions, etc to which are based on internet will remain the organization. untouched if internet is not present. However • Architecture & Backend: It is web-based still it is very useful if runs without internet and has a multi-tier architecture; it uses particularly In remote areas of India where Java (a swing-based librarian’s GUI) the such facility is not present. JBoss (J2EE-based Application Server) The NewGenlib software is entirely java and PostgreSQL as default backend. based. It uses number of well supported and • Functional Modules: NewGenlib widely used reliable open source component functional modules are : Acquisitions like , Postges Sql, and Solr management (monographs and serials); Lucene etc. The main three layer of software technical processing; circulation control; is presentation, webserver and database layer. system configuration; a desktop reports application and an end-of-day process (scheduler) application. Advanced Features • Data Create & Exchange Format: NewGenlib software is unique in sense of NewGenlib open source is compliant Indian Library Management Softwares, but it with MARC-21 format. It has a MARC is equally important for international editor. It allows seamless bibliographic requirements too. Because it is joint efforts of and authority data import into Experienced Library professionals and

Indian Journal of Library and Information Science Rajendra Singh / Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: 287 A Comparative Study

information technology experts of India payment of subscription while in western naturally it has given more emphasis on those world payment are made by finance office or practices which is usually used by Indian by administration department, hence here libraries. Like most of the Indian library make NewGenlib had made provision of payment

Volume 8 Number 3, September - December 2014 288 Rajendra Singh / Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: A Comparative Study as per the practice followed by Indian libraries. • Customizable search - you choose which Main features are as follows: fields you want on your search forms when you set it up • NewGenlib opac is configured for Twitter; it gives instant information to • Reading lists for members - now you can patrons twitter account directly. find the name of that great book you read last year. • Mail server configuration is no more separate application for Gmail. Now • Full acquisitions including budgets and Gmail can easily be configured my any pricing information (including supplier Gmail account. All the transaction emails and currency conversion), being kept so can be generated with any Gmail email that you can see what you’ve ordered address. and received - so handy at end of year and audit time. This is the good application for those libraries which cannot maintain their own separate • Software Tools for Automation mail server due to several financial and • Simple acquisitions for the smaller library technical reasons. • Able to catalogue websites as items, or • New Arrivals can be seen in OPAC by have them as links to existing records. user defined period. • Now OPAC has provision of RSS Feed. History • Loan period can be defined in hours, Koha was developed in 1999 and the first days or up to a any date. library went live in January of 2000. Koha’s • SMS functionality which can be code has been in production since then and is configured etc. continuing to move towards higher levels of • Radio Frequency Identification Library functionality and standards compliance, compatibility including embracing the international records and cataloguing standards MARC and Z39.50. • Android capable • Catalogue harvesting through Google site map. Current Status The latest stable release of Koha is 3.12.0 KOHA Koha is the first open source fully featured Project Sponsors/Administrators integrated library system (ILS) used by a Katipo Communications, and funding by considerable number of libraries in USA, New Horowhenua Library Trust and other libraries. Zealand, and Europe. The Koha ILS includes Current project leader is Patrick Eyler. catalogue, OPAC, circulation, member Dependency management, and acquisitions package. Koha is used by public libraries, private collectors, Apache, Perl, MySQL (or any RDBMS). not-profit organizations, churches, schools, and corporates. Supported Platforms Windows (without Z39.50 support), Linux, Special Features and UNIX. Some of the key features are: • Simple clear interface for librarians and License members (patrons) to search right from GNU General Public License the front page.

Indian Journal of Library and Information Science Rajendra Singh / Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: 289 A Comparative Study

Comparative Features NewGenlib vs Koha

NewGenlib vs Koha Opac Comparison Some highlighted similarity and difference of OPAC are as follows:

Availability Conclusion http://sourceforge.net/projects/koha, http://www.koha.org/download/ It has been a major advantage for open source softwares that everybody can make his Further Information contribution for development of information management system. Generally people think 1. Project Homepage: http:// that writing of source code is contribution in www.koha.org/ development of system but those who give 2. Koha Wiki Page: http:// suggestion for betterment, make complaint, www.saas.nsw.edu.au/wiki/ report bugs are also play role in development index.php?page=KohaProject of system. Both the software has developed

Volume 8 Number 3, September - December 2014 290 Rajendra Singh / Open Source Initiative in Indian Library Automation Using Newgenlib and Koha: A Comparative Study their self by this way. Support of Lib Lime to index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID= Koha is major contribution in development of CA304084&publication=libraryjournal software. (Accessed on August 27, 2003). Use of technology, Open Standards and well 2. Chawner, Brenda (2003). Open Source Software and Libraries Bibliographies (Version 0.5) designed system has made both the software [online] Available from: http:// highly capable, flexible and user friendly www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/brenda_chawner/ management softwares. Forum of both the biblio.html (accessed on July 23, 2003) softwares has give real time help for user of 3. Ghosh RA. (1998). FM Interview with Linus the softwares. Although installation of Koha Torvalds: What motivates free software is comparative somewhat difficult then developers? First Monday [online] (2 March NewGenlib though a person without much 1998) Vol.3 (3) Available from http:// knowledge of software can install and use both www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue3_3/ the softwares. The level of involvement of users torvalds/index.html (Accessed July 20, 2003) in submitting bug reports and participating in 4. Haravu LJ. Library Automation: Design, Principles the project’s mailing list and the number of and Practice. New Delhi: Allied Publishers; developers arough the project are also major 2004. factors for continuing success of both the 5. Haravu LJ. (2009), “Comparison of two open softwares (Crowson et al). source integrated Library Systems (ILS):Koha NewGenlib Developers (Versu Solution Pvt (version. 3.0) and NewGenLib (version. 2.2 Ltd.) has instituted several initiatives like beta)” , Available at www.verussolutions.biz/ adoption programme, offering free data files/Whitepaper2.doc (accessed 20 January conversion, Free SMS sending (Till Recent 2011). Time), providing quick response to query/ 6. Mukhopadhyay Parthasarathy. Library complaints. All the development work is being Automation through Koha. Kolkata: Prova done by original developers and there are Prakashani; 2008. hardly any external developers for NewGenlib. 7. Engard Nicole C. Chapter 4. Open source On the other hand Indian libraries have lack software and Libraries in PracticalOpen Source of infrastructure and hardly are they having Software for Libraries. London: Chandos any IT expert. Publishing; 2010, 29-34. 8. Morgan Eric Lease. (2009). Open source Koha is having international support from software: Controlling your computing the world community of users but still lot of environment. Computers in Libraries work is remaining for development. Especially Conference, March 31-April 2, 2009, available installation on Linux platform is difficult for at http://infomotions.com/musings/oss4cil/ Indian users as they are not very use to with (accessed 2 March 2012). Linux environment. Koha is lacking of table of contents, weed out, index glossary, SDI and provision of No Dues Certificate. Location map is also not available with koha. In short we can say that Functionality module of NewGenlib is better than Koha.

References

1. Cervone, Frank (2003). The Open Source Option [online] Available from: http:// libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/

Indian Journal of Library and Information Science