Unit 4 Library Automation: Applications of Open
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Library Automation – UNIT 4 LIBRARY AUTOMATION: Software Packages APPLICATIONS OF OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE Structure 4.0 Objectives 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Open Source Movement 4.2.1 Open Source Software 4.2.2 Open Source Software: Development Path 4.2.3 Open Source Software vs. Commercial Software 4.3 Open Source Software: Philosophy, Principles and Licensing 4.3.1 Philosophy of Open Source Software 4.3.2 Principles of Open Source Software 4.3.3 Licensing of Open Source Software 4.3.4 Open Source and Open Standards 4.4 Open Source Software and Libraries 4.4.1 Use of Open Source Software 4.4.2 Prospects and Problems 4.4.3 Use of Open Standards 4.5 Open Source Software in Libraries: System Level 4.5.1 Open Source Operating System 4.5.2 LAMP Architecture 4.5.3 LAMP Components 4.6 Open Source Software in Libraries: Domain Level 4.6.1 Automated Library System 4.6.2 Digital Library System 4.6.3 Cataloguing Tools 4.6.4 Other Library Activity Tools 4.7 Towards Open Library System 4.8 Summary 4.9 Answers to Self Check Exercises 4.10 Keywords 4.11 References and Further Reading 4.0 OBJECTIVES After going through this Unit, you will be able to: • know what is open source movement and how is it improving computing infrastructure; • understand differences between commercial and open source software; • identify advantages of using open source software and open standards in library system; and • understand the emerging concept of open library system. 141 Library Automation 4.1 INTRODUCTION Present library services are software-centric. As per the availability and distribution policy, software products are divided into two groups – closed source commercial products and open source free to use products. Commercial software in the domain of library activities are available against huge license fees along with separate annual maintenance contracts, updating fees and many other hidden costs. As a result, adaptation of a commercial LMS in library (for example) is not one-time capital expenditure but it leads to considerable recurring expenditure on already strained library budget. Moreover, these commercial LMSs are basically available in a generic or fit-to-all size model and provide no scope for customisation to suite the need of a particular library (Mukhopadhyay, 2008). This is an alarming situation for libraries in India. Libraries are paying huge sum of money to procure commercial LMS but unfortunately not in a position to even change the colour of the user interface. Another serious lacuna is the non- transparent nature of these software in the use of global de jury or de facto standards. Application of open source software in different library activities may be a viable alternative solution to get rid of the problems related with the application of commercial software. The tradition of open source software started with the advent of ARPANET (now Internet) in 1969 and boosted with the development of open source operating systems like GNU Linux. Naturally, one question is coming to your mind – what is open source software and how is it different. According to OSI (Open Source Initiative, 2003) – “Open source promotes software reliability and quality by supporting independent peer review and rapid evaluation of source code. To be certified as open source, the license of a program must guarantee the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use it freely”. Open source software are available freely to end users. Here the term Free has dual meaning – users are given freedom to customise the source code and these software are available free of cost. An open source software is attached with four freedoms – read (source code is available for verification), use (binary code is available for application), modify (source code is available for modification and customisation), redistribute (source code in original or in modified form is available for redistribution). In the area of library services, the greatest benefit of open source software is the opportunity for library professionals to work at the system level and to participate in software development process as co-developers. Fortunately, the domain of library and information science, right from the beginning of the open source movement, is benefited through structured effort and software philanthropy. We have matured ILS like Koha (comparable to any global ILS) from HLT, New Zealand, comprehensive digital library software like DSpace from the MIT, US (with support from HP), Greenstone Digital Library Software (or GSDL) from University of Waikato (presently supported by UNESCO). Apart from these very popular open source software, the arena is presently fielded with an array of promising software like MARCEdit and ISISMARC (MARC cataloguing tools), WEBLIS (ILS based on CDS/ISIS), YAS toolkit (Z39.50 client and server), Lucene and Solr (Text retrieval engines), Unicode-compliant multilingual tools etc. Most of these open source software in the domain of LIS are very transparent in the use of standards and generally deploy open standards for achieving interoperability. 142 This brief introduction gives you idea on open source software and the possibilities Library Automation: Application of Open Source for applications of open source software in enhancing library systems and services. Software Now we are all set to discuss open source software in depth. The discussion mainly cover six areas – 1) history, development, features and advantages of open source; 2) philosophy, principles and IPR issues related with open source; 3) use and advantages of open source software in libraries in general; 4) application of open source software in library activities at the system level; 5) application of open source software in library activities at the domain level; and 6) the emerging concept of open library systems that manages open contents and supported by open standards and open source software. Self Check Exercises Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below. ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit. 1) Enumerate the problems for application of commercial software in libraries. ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... 2) What do you mean by open source? Enumerate the freedoms associated with open source. ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... 3) List a few open source software in the domain of library services. ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... 4.2 OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT This section covers systematically the definition, scope and origin of open source software including the fundamental differences between open source and close source software. 143 Library Automation 4.2.1 Open Source Software Open Source Software (OSS) is not a new idea. You already know that the open source movement started with the Internet. Recently, technical and market forces joined together to draw a niche role of open source movement. Open source movement has all the potentials to define computing infrastructure of the next century (Marco & Lister, 1987). Open source is a software development model as well as a software distribution model. OSS development follows Linus Torvalds’s (Linus Torvalds is the developer of Linux operating system – an open source system software) style of development – release early and often, delegate everything and be open to the point of promiscuity. Raymond (2001a; 2001b) termed this type of software development as bazaar style of development in comparison with traditional software development process (termed by Raymond as cathedral model), which is carefully crafted by individual wizards or small group of experts working in splendid isolation. The Open Source Initiative (2004), a forum to promote open source software movement as a viable alternative to commercial software claims – “This rapid evolutionary process produces better software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few programmers can see the source