2. Free & Open Source
Movement and Libraries
Free & Open Source Software
in Pakistan: The Role of
PASTIC
By
Syed Habib Akhter Jaffri
Senior Librarian
PASTIC National Center
Islamabad
Pakistan Scientific & Technological Information Centre The Information Provider

3. Free Software
• Free software movement was launched in
1983.
• In 1998, a splinter group of this movement
advocated that the term “free” software
should be replaced by “open source”
software.
• Problem with “Free” was that it implied “Zero
Cost” and not the intended meaning
“Freedom”.
• CDS/ISIS or WINISIS A FREE SOFTWARE

4. What is Open Source Software
• First of all let us see what is:
• Software?
• Source?
• Open?

5. History
• IBM and others sold the first large-scale
commercial computers 1960
some software which was free (libre),
• situation changed after the
``unbundling'' of IBM software, and in
mid-1970s
• current open source software
movement: late 1970s and early 1980s,
Two different groups were establishing

6. Cont………………………
• GNU Project: General Public License (GPL),
Richard Stallman
• CSRG: Computer Science Research Group
1991-1992: software development in
general, was ready to change.
• 1993: both GNU/Linux and 386BSD
Coining “Open Source

7. Why Libraries Should Use
Open Source Software?
Zero Cost
– It is mostly available free of cost.
– User support groups which are helpful and
responsive to users.
Freedom
– It can be used without any restriction.
– Users can modify the source code and customise
them to suit their requirements
– Even redistribute it.

8. Blake Carver’s modification of
Ranganathan's Laws for software:
• Software is for use.
• Every computer its users.
• Every reader his source code
• Save the time of the user.
• A system is a growing organism.

9. Head Office: Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, Islamabad
Sub Centres: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Muzaffarabad
PAKISTAN SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGICAL
INFORMATION CENTRE & ITS SERVICES
ISO 9001:2000 Certified
www.pastic.gov.pk

10. PASTIC The Information Provider
21st century is the century of
Information & knowledge
More new information has been
generated in the last 30 years than in
the previous 5000 years

11. Publications
PAKISTAN SCIENCE ABSTARCT
Articles from Pakistani S&T journals are documented in the
form of abstracts are published in 10 S&T disciplines.
1. Agricultural Sciences
2. Animal Sciences
3. Biochemistry & Biotechnology
4. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
5. Earth & Environmental Sciences
6. Information Communication
& Engineering Sciences
7. Mathematical & Statistical Sciences
8. Medical Sciences,
9. Plant Sciences
10. Physics

12. Directory of Scientific Periodicals &
Union Catalogue
Contains reference
information of 300
Pakistani Scientific
Periodicals
Serial holding data of 200 libraries
Available on website: Union Catalogue
In print form and on CD-ROM

13. Trainings/Workshops
• Information Handling & Management
• Library Automation
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Science in Mass Media
• ICTs & Libraries
• Data Warehousing & Data Mining
• Information Security
• Technology Information for Industry & SMEs
Workshops and trainings are conducted for Human Resource
Development in different areas. PASTIC has organized
workshops & seminars in following areas from time to time.

14. Use of Free & Open Source Library
Software’s: The Role of PASTIC
• 1989: 1st
PASTIC/UNESCO PGI National
Training on Micro CDS/ISIS, 16-30
August, Islamabad.
• 1990: 2nd
Training Course on the Applications
of CDS/ISIS, 7-28 February, Lahore.
• 1990: Training on CDS/ISIS, 3-8 November,
Islamabad.
• 1990: 3rd
PASTIC-NIDP-ASTINFO Course on
CDS/ISIS, 15-24 December, Karachi.

15. Cont………………
• 1991: Training on DBASE3P, CDS/ISIS, MSTAT
and SLIDE WRITE Packages, 16-23
December, Lahore.
• 1995: Library/Office Automation and
Management, 18-24 July,
Muzaffarabad.
• 1996: Training on CDS/ISIS Package, 3-7
November, Islamabad.
• 1998: ICT applications for Library &
Information Management, 23-26
November, Islamabad.

16. Cont………………
• 2001: Training on WIN/ISIS for PASTIC
Officers, 29 October-3 November,
Islamabad.
• 2002: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 2-4 July,
Islamabad.
• 2002 : Library Automation/Information
Handling Techniques, 23-26 October,
Jamshoro, Sindh.
• 2002: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 20-23
November, Islamabad.

17. Cont………………………
• 2003: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 2-5 June,
Islamabad.
• 2004: WIN/ISIS Package for PAEC Libraries in
different cities of Pakistan,14-16 June,
Islamabad.
• 2004: Library Automation of S&T
Organizations, 04-07 October, Karachi.
• 2004: Library Automation of S&T
Organizations,13-16 December, Lahore.

18. Cont………….
• 2005: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 7-19
February, Islamabad.
• 2005: Creating Value in Scientific and
Technological Research, 3rd
May,
Islamabad.
• 2005: Library Automation of S&T
Organizations, 9-11 May, Peshawar.
• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 20-29 May,
Islamabad.

19. Cont………………..
• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 20-22 June,
Peshawar.
• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 23-25 June,
Peshawar.
• 2008: Training Workshop on WINISIS at
University of Agriculture, 12-13 June,
Faisalabad.

20. Cont………………..