What the heck is an Open Source Evangelist? That’s the question I’ve heard several times over the last month since announcing my new position at LibLime. To make it short and sweet, to evangelize is to spread the good news. So, it’s my job to spread the good news of open source to librarians.

Now for the big question, how am I supposed to spread the good news of open source to libraries around the world all by my lonesome? Well, we’re going to start small. This blog will be my platform and I want to hear from all of you who have stories to share or questions to ask. I want to learn from you as you learn from me and others. If you’ve heard me talk before you know that I’m an advocate for open-source solutions in libraries, I’ve found that the open-source community and the library community both follow a similar set of guidelines, making them the perfect partners in a push for change and enhancements for the library world.

In short, this introductory post of mine, is also a call for your assistance. For years I’ve been writing and presenting for those of us in library land and in all that time I’ve made it perfectly clear that I stand for learning. I don’t think that any one person holds all the knowledge, but I do think that librarians as a community hold a whole darn lot of it! It is for this reason that I think the best way to start in my new role is to ask to hear from all of you. I am looking for stories of how your library has used open source to improve work flow and productivity. I’m looking for stories of how open source has or hasn’t solved your problems. I’m looking to find answers to your commonly asked questions and to educate you about the pros and cons (yes, cons) of open-source solutions.

Over the next few months, I’m going to be sharing stories, answers and solutions with you all, and as we get to know each other better, I’ll look to you to help me spread the good news about open source other librarians. That’s my grand plan, that’s how I hope to make the most of my new position at LibLime and I look forward to hearing what you all have to say and to sharing knowledge with the rest of the community.

If you’d like to contact me you can do so at nicole.engard [at] liblime.com, AIM/Y!/Skype: nengard, or by phone at 888.564.2457 x714. In addition to writing here at Open Sesame, I’m also available to come talk to your organizations about open source and how it’s being used in libraries. To see where I’m teaching next, you can keep an eye on my public calendar.