MyLibrary

Last Thursday and Friday I had the opportunity to participate in a symposium for the Montana State University (MSU) Libraries on open source software. In my presentation I described open source software as a community process, free as a free kitten, its kinship with library values, and how an integrated library system might be created using open source.

To explain how libraries can exploit technology, instead being controlled by it, I demonstrated a number of MyLibrary prototypes. Attendees seemed most interested in Your Page — a system where patron content (names, majors, and class information) was combined with library resources to make specific suggestions for individuals.

I believe people’s awareness regarding what open source software can and can not do was increased, but the concepts behind MyLibrary — the creation of relationships between librarians, information resources, and patrons through sets of facet/term combinations — were inadequately described.

More over, on the plane out there I began reading The Success of Open Source by Steven Weber, and I realize my understanding of open source as a process needs to be increased as well. Food for my own thought.

Tags: Open Source Software //