KohaCon2016 discusses using free and open source software (FOSS) in libraries. It notes that FOSS involves tremendous community effort and expertise over many years, providing a sustainable development model well-suited for knowledge organizations like libraries. It outlines the Koha software ecosystem and legal freedoms of FOSS licensing. Developing an effective FOSS strategy involves defining roles, releasing code openly, linking with university departments, and developing policies and procedures to support a sustainable FOSS community. FOSS should be seen not just as cost reduction but as a way to develop expertise, link to research, and support open science and data policies.

1. #KohaCon2016
@prodromos
Using FOSS in Libraries:
Crisis and Hope

2. software
ecosystem
legal
strategy
conclusions

3. 1
Software&Humans

4. 27,319 commits

5. 369 contributors

6. 720,843
lines of code

7. 198
years of effort

9. Software is not just about code
* Collective
* Knowledge intensive
* Learning Experience
* Infrastructure dependent
* Institution building

10. FOSS encompasses tremendous amount of value
* years of man-effort
* organic community development
* global expertise - local knowledge
* sustainable development model
* ideal for knowledge intensive organisations

11. 2
TheKohaEcosystem

13. bug tracking
collaboration
tool
knowledge base
project
monitoring
video
channel

14. 3
Legal

16. Licensing Features:
• GNU GPL v.2
• User option for
• GPL v.3
• Affero GPL v.3

17. Key FOSS Freedoms
the freedom to use the software for any purpose,
the freedom to change the software to suit your needs,
the freedom to share the software with your friends and neighbors,
and
the freedom to share the changes you make.

18. FOSS
Collective Activity
Human
Centric
Brings
Sustainability
Part of a
broader strategy

19. 4
Strategic

20. Developing a FOSS strategy I
* People and Roles
* Developer(s)
* Community Management
• Find other communities
• In your country and elsewhere
• Organise meetings
• Organise conferences
• Procurement
•Buy man-hours not products
•

21. Developing a FOSS strategy II
• Releases
• Release from day-one
• Understand what you are developing
• Have a set of goals for the duration of the project
•Share
• Experience
• Expertise
• Resources

22. Developing a FOSS strategy III
• Link
• To your University departments
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Information Science (Librarians)
• Students
• Research
•Policy Makers
•Second level organisations (HEAL-link)

23. Developing a FOSS strategy IV
• Develop:
•policies (including IPR protection policy)
•Public Relations policy (community driven)
•standard procedures
•events
•knowledge base
•business ecosystem around your software

24. 5
conclusions

25. Thinking of FOSS in libraries:
* part of a broader FOSS strategy
* not just cost reduction
* development of sustainable expertise
* linking to research and development
* related to open science and open data policies
* knowledge instrument

26. +q a
@prodromos
p.tsiavos@ucl.ac.uk