Open Source ILS Case Studies
I received this message today about a series of 6 case studies of libraries making the switch to open source systems:
For the past year, 6 libraries from Malawi to Nepal have been learning a great deal about free and open source software (FOSS) integrated library systems (ILS). Case studies of their investigations, successes, and learning points are now available. The participating pilot sites in this project range from the relatively small (50,000 to 70,000 volumes) to the very large (more than 4 million volumes). They also stretch from libraries with a single systems librarian to libraries with an entire IT team. This project was not merely about installing and using a FOSS ILS; it was about learning to engage with FOSS development and support communities. It’s all about participation. We are delighted to report that the technical leads from each pilot site (and the teams they managed, where those existed) have taken engagement seriously. So much so that eIFL.net libraries are now regular contributors to the Koha http://www.koha.org/ and Evergreen http://www.open-ils.org/ ILS development and support communities. With the publication of these case studies we hope many more libraries within the eIFL.net community will take up the challenges and opportunities that come with FOSS in libraries.
This is a project that somehow stayed out of my radar, but I’m very happy to hear about it now and get to explore the 6 case studies.
- Fundamental Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences, Armenia (Evergreen);
- Mzuzu University, Malawi (Koha);
- Library of the Faculty of Medicine Pharmacy and Dentistry, University of Bamako, Mali (Koha);
- Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Nepal (Evergreen);
- Midlands State University Library, Zimbabwe (Evergreen)