Presentación de Marshall Breeding. "Open Software for Libraries: Current Trends and Issues". Jornada Software Libre. Baratz-EPI. Madrid, 29 de marzo 2012

1. OPEN SOFTWARE FOR
LIBRARIES:
Current Trends and Issues
Marshall Breeding
Director for Innovative Technology and
Research
Vanderbilt University Library
Founder and Publisher, Library Technology
Guides
http://www.librarytechnology.org/
http://twitter.com/mbreeding
29 March, 2011 Modelos de negocio y de gestión de contenidos con
software libre

2. Abstract
Libraries have a natural affinity with open source
software, and many have implemented it for their
strategic automation infrastructure, including ILS
and discovery systems. In his analysis of the
library automation industry, Breeding tracks the
pace of adoption of open source library
automation. Come hear his perspectives on the
current and emerging trends of open source in the
industry relative to proprietary products and how it
fares relative to broader trends such as
comprehensive resource management, cloud

3. Context: Basic library automation
trends
 Transition away from legacy Integrated Library
System model
 Transition into new genre of Library Services
Platforms
 Large-scale consolidation of automation:
regional, state-wide, national
 Converged workflows: Print, electronic, digital
 Increased reliance on cloud technologies: multi-
tenant software-as-a-service
 Enterprise-level infrastructure
 Platform of open APIs for customized functionality
and interoperability

4. Adoption Patterns by
Libraries
What are the trends in the adoption of Open
Source library management software by
libraries

5. Recent ILS Industry Contracts
Company Product 2009 2010 2011
OCLC WorldShare Management Services 184
Innovative Interfaces Sierra 206
Ex Libris Alma 8 24
SirsiDynix Symphony - 126 122
Innovative Interfaces, Millennium 45 39 32
Inc.
The Library Corporation Library.Solution 30 43 48
Ex Libris Aleph 47 39 25
VTLS Inc. Virtua 18 22 13
Polaris Library Systems Polaris ILS 33 23 53
Biblionix Apollo 55 87 79
ByWater Solutions Koha 7 44 54
PTFS LibLime LibLime Academic Koha 7
PTFS LibLime LibLime Koha 44 27
Equinox Software Evergreen 18 15 21

6. ILS Turnover Report

7. ILS Turnover Report -- Reverse

8. Perceptions of Open Source
Does open source result in higher or lower
satisfaction by libraries that have adopted it
for library management systems?

9. Perceptions Survey – Open Source
Interest

10. Perceptions Survey – Perceived
functionality

11. Perceptions Survey – ILS
Satisfaction

12. Business Models

13. US: Commercial involvement
dominates
 Almost all installations of open source ILS
products in the United States involve contracts
with commercial companies
 Mostly hosted by the commercial support
company
 A very small minority of independent
installations
 Consortial arrangement:
 Consortial
office provides support to libraries
 Commercial firm provides support to consortial
office

14. International scenarios
 Internationally support is often provided though
government agencies or non-governmental
organizations
 Need for translations and to implement local
functionality
 CONABIP: Developing Koha for Bibliotecas Populares
en Argentina
 National Library of Philippines: provides Koha for all
public libraries
 EIFL: Pilot implementations of Koha and Evergreen in
developing nations
 Spain : Koha – Kobli for governmental libraries
 Bireme / UNESCO: development of ABCD as an open
source LMS based on CDS/ISIS technologies

15. The business of open source
 Many Commercial companies with interest in
open source library automation products
 Revenue sources
 Conversion of data from incumbent system
 Installation / configuration
 Training
 Support / Help desk
 Hosting
 Sponsored Development

16. Proprietary software business
model
 Software License Fee
 Conversion, Installation, training
 Annual maintenance for upgrades, service,
support (~15 percent)
 Hosting (optional)

17. Business realities
 Same cost exist elements for any major
software development projects
 Software engineers to develop business
application
 Quality assurance
 Administration / Govenance
 Data Migration
 Implementation
 Hosting infrastructure
 Service and support

18. Revenue sources
 Open source software based entirely on
services or contributed effort
 Proprietary software revenues derived from
Licensing plus modest (15%) maintenance
and service fees
 Both Open source and Proprietary software
moving toward subscriptions-based SaaS

19. Open Source Governance
 Some entity needs to manage the overall project –
Otherwise Chaos ensues
 Ownership of intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights,
patents)
 Provide legal and administrative support
 Strategic leadership: trajectory of development
 Represent key stakeholders: developers, institutional
implementers, end-users
 Provide tools for development, codebase management,
distribution
 Manage personnel resources
 Enforce and manage quality control
 Examples: Apache Software Foundation, Kuali
Foundation,

20. Software as a service (multi-
tenant)
 Open source or proprietary
 All-inclusive subscription fee
 Hosting
 Maintenance (always up-to-date)
 Support
 Annual fee scaled to the size and complexity of
library

21. Development Resources
Company Dev Sup Sales Admin Other Total
Ex Libris 170 231 54 44 13 512
Follett Software Company 87 143 86 49 0 365
Innovative Interfaces, Inc. 83 158 43 24 3 311
SirsiDynix Corporation 84 166 51 23 56 380
Serials Solutions 80 50 46 4 57 237
Axiell 57 66 34 35 34 226
The Library Corporation 39 91 28 13 28 199
Polaris Library Systems 27 42 15 2 86
VTLS Inc. 24 48 12 8 18 110
Koha
ByWater Solutions 3 12 3 3 1 13
Catalyst IT 3
BibLibre 4 3
Koha Total (estimated) 15

22. Models of Openness

23. Programming levels
 Systems software development: professional
software engineer using languages such as
C++, Microsoft .Net, Java, JEEE
 Systems integration and extension: mid-level
programmers with knowledge of scripting
languages such as PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python
 Works with application programming interfaces
(APIs) to create new functionality or manipulate
date from an existing business system

24. Closed Systems
End User
Interfaces:
Programmer No
access: programmable
Access to the
Functional Cataloging Circulation Acquisitions system.
modules:
Captive to the
user
Data Stores:
Interfaces
supplied by the
developer
Staff Interfaces:

25. Standard RDBM Systems
End User Database
Interfaces: administrators
can access data
Programmer
stores involved
access:
with the system:
Functional Cataloging Circulation Acquisitions Read-only?
modules: Read/write?
Data Stores: Developer
shares database
schema
Staff Interfaces:

26. Open Source Model
Programmer
End User access:
Interfaces:
All aspects of
Functional Cataloging Circulation Acquisitions Software the system
modules: Engineer available to
inspection and
Data Stores: modification.
Database Administrator
Staff Interfaces: or
SQL Programmer

27. Open API Model
End User Programme
Interfaces:
r access:
Core
application
Functional Cataloging Circulation Acquisitions closed.
modules:
Third party
Published APIs developers
Data Stores:
code against
the published
APIs or
Programmer / RDBMS tables.
Staff Interfaces: Integrator

28. Open Source / Open API Model
Programmer
End User access:
Interfaces:
Core
Software application
Engineer open.
Functional Cataloging Circulation Acquisitions
modules:
Published APIs
Third party
Integrator developers
Data Stores: code against
the published
Staff Interfaces: APIs or
RDBMS tables.
DBA

29. Application API
exposed to External Applications
Public Staff Report External
Interface Interfac s application
e Module s
Delivered
Interfaces use
proprietary
programming
Core Functionality / Business Application
Core Software Logic Programming
Interfaces
RDMS API
Data
stores

30. Legacy ILS Model + protocol
Interlibrar
Staff Interfaces: Public Interfaces: y
Loan
System
Protocols: SIP2 NCIP Z39.50 OAI-
PMH
Application Programming Interfaces
Circulation Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Online
Catalog
Self-
Check
Holding Circ $$$
BIB User Vendor Policies
/ Items Transact Funds

31. Legacy ILS Model / External
API
External
Staff Interfaces: Public Interfaces: Systems
&
Services
Application Programming Interfaces / Web
Services
Circulation Cataloging Acquisitions Serials Online
Catalog
Flexible
Interoperability
Protocols: SIP2 NCIP Z39.50 OAI-
PMH
Holding Circ $$$
BIB User Vendor Policies
/ Items Transact Funds

32. New Library Management
Model
Search:
Unified Presentation Layer
Self-Check / Digital
Coll
Automated Library Search
Engine ProQue
Services
Consolidated index
Return st
Platform
API Layer EBSCO
…
`
JSTOR
Stock
Managemen Other
Resourc
t es
Enterprise
Smart Cad /
Resource
Payment
Planning
systems
Learning Authenticati
Managemen on
t Service

33. Is Open Source ILS
transformative
Open source version of legacy
models?
or
New opportunities to support
modern libraries?

34. Opening up Library Systems
through Web Services and SOA:
Hype or Reality?
This report aims to assess the
current slate of major library
automation systems in
regard to their ability to
provide openness through
APIs, Web services, and the
adoption of SOA.
Library Technology Reports Nov/Dec Issue 2009 by Marshall Breeding

35. Opening up Library Systems
through Web Services and SOA:
Hype or Reality?
“We also note that the two
open source systems lag
behind proprietary systems
in terms of customer-facing
APIs that result in tangible
activities which extend
functionality or enable
interoperability.”
Library Technology Reports Nov/Dec Issue 2009 by Marshall Breeding

36. Opening up Library Systems
through Web Services and SOA:
Hype or Reality?
“The APIs available to library
programmers continue to be
quirky and less than
comprehensive, even from the
vendors with the strongest
offerings in this area.”
Library Technology Reports Nov/Dec Issue 2009 by Marshall Breeding

37. Open Systems
 Achieving openness has risen as the key driver
behind library technology strategies
 Libraries need to do more with their data
 Ability to improve customer experience and
operational efficiencies
 Demand for Interoperability
 Open source – full access to internal program of
the application
 Open API’s – expose programmatic interfaces to
data and functionality

38. Library Services Platform
 Possible new term for the successor to the ILS
 ILS now viewed as print-centric
 Next Generation systems must serve as
platforms to connect external systems as well
as to deliver internal functionality
 Delivered Functionality + library created
extensions + interoperability

39. Current Open Source ILS
Products

40. Competing Models of Library
Automation
 Traditional Proprietary Commercial ILS (print
centric)
 Millennium, Symphony, Polaris
 Traditional Open Source ILS (print centric)
 Evergreen, Koha
 Hybrid Approach
 Sierra Services Platform (Innovative Interfaces)
 Library Services Platforms
 ExLibris Alma, Serials Solutions Alma, Kuali
OLE, OCLC WorldShare Management Services

41. Koha
 Originally developed in 1999 for small group of
libraries in New Zealand, Horowhenua Library
Trust by Katipo Communications, production
use by Jan 2000
 Gained widespread use in the United States
around 2004-05 and has seen steady growth
in use
 Wide international adoption
 Used in many thousands of libraries. 1,573
represented in lib-web-cats, with many large
groups not yet registered.

42. Companies involved with Koha
 ByWater Solutions. Provides hosting and support services for libraries in the
United States
 PTFS – LibLime. Provides development, hosting, and support for “LibLime
Academic Koha” and “LibLime Koha”
 PTFS Europe. Service, hosting and support for Koha in the United Kingdom and
parts of Europe.
 BibLibre. Provides development, hosting and support primarily to libraries in France
 Catalist IT: provides development, hosting and support for libraries in Australia an
New Zealand
 Libéo: Service and suppor for Koha to libraries in Canada
 Equinox Software, Inc. Provides development, support, and hosting for Koha to
libraries in the United States. Most of the company’s business is based on
Evergreen.
 Orex. Service and support for Koha in Spain
 Organizadatos: Service and support for Koha in Columbia and other parts of Latin
America
 Librotech: Based in Norway to promote and provide service and support for Koha in
Scandinavia.
 Katipo Communications. Service and support for Koha in New Zealand.
Previously sold its interests in Koha to LibLime, but has since reinstated its
involvement.

43. National Projects to deploy
Koha
 Philippines: A systematic effort to install Koha
in the public libraries sponsored by the state
libraries
 Spain: Koha-Kobli
 (Koha Biblioteca)
 http://kobli.bage.es/
 Argentina. CONABIP (Comisión Nacional de
Bibliotecas Populares)
 Customized version of Koha: DigiBepe
 http://www.conabip.gob.ar/faq/digibepe

44. Koha Worldwide

45. Evergreen
 Originally developed by the Georgia Public Library
System for the PINES consortium of public
libraries in Georgia
 PINES includes most of the small and mid-sized
public libraries in Georgia, but not the largest
urban areas (Atlanta, Cobb County, etc)
 Equinox Software, Inc. launched as a separate
company in Feb 2007, including most of the team
that originally created Evergreen within GPLS.
 Evergreen now used in over 1,000 libraries,
primarily in the United States and Canada. Some
recent international deployments

46. Evergreen Worldwide

47. Kuali OLE
 Mellon funded project to create new enterprise
level automation platform for research libraries
 1-year planning project led by Duke University
 Manage resources of all formats
 More than an ILS / Less than an ILS
 Community Source / Open Source

48. OLE Project: Phase I
 Planning and Design Phase
 Develop Vision + Blueprint
 Work with consultants with expertise in SOA
and BPM
 Instill community ownership of OLE
 Recruit partners for Phase II

49. Kuali OLE Project: Phase II
 2-year build project led by Indiana University
 $2.38 million from Mellon matched by capital
and in-kind contributions by development
partners
 Community source reference implementation
 Create software based on OLE blueprint from
current project
 Early software in 18-24 months
 High level of investment and commitment to
implementation

50. Comparative Issues:
 Koha: (ILS)
 Used in a wide range of library sizes and types
 Very broad international deployment with translations into
many languages
 Many support companies in various countries and regions
 Evergreen (ILS)
 Created initially for library consortia, and has since
followed that pattern. Very few instances for single
libraries
 Concentrated in US, Canada, initial deployments in Europe
 Perceived as more complex to implement than Koha
 Kuali OLE: (LSP)
 Enterprise-level software for academic and research
libraries
 No libraries yet in production

51. Questions and discussion