Recently on an ALIA list there was discussion about open source software and whether it was really ‘free’. It is a confusion we frequently encounter. CALYX does not sell software, but we do sell services to support the deployment of free and open source software (FOSS). Generally using FOSS will save costs over closed source alternatives, but this is not necessarily so, depending on the circumstances.
In a blog to the school community in the UK, Miles Berry http://milesberry.net provides clarification. He writes: “free is about freedom at least as much as it’s about price: Liberté rather than gratuite as the French would have it.” Miles goes on to discuss four freedoms of open source software in the context of schools. Let us provide a library perspective. Open source offers:
0. The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
With open source software there are no licence fees, up front or ever. There is no restriction to run the software on a given number of terminals or for a specified number of users. Says Miles: “That’s not to say that it’s without any costs, but training, support, maintenance and, for web-based applications, hosting, are costs which apply to all software, whether open source or proprietary”.
1. The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.
Whilst there are going to be relatively few librarians with the skills, time or inclination to study the source code, you are able to invite anyone with the relevant skills to study it for you. Miles again: “More importantly, access to the source code allows [library] techies to tailor the software to the specific needs of the [library]; it’s this adaptability of open source software which is its unique, er, selling point. For me, this is at the core of why open source software matters for [libraries].”
2. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbour.
This is a critical advantage for schools, perhaps less so in the library world. For example, Koha is a fully featured ILMS. It is a very large and sophisticated piece of software. Whilst community members, particularly in Asia, are working to simplify the installation process, as of today inexperienced users will require support at installation. For the brave this is available from the email lists, but those not interested in the underlying technology or in a hurry to get started might prefer to call on the services of a support company. Either way, the call is yours.
3. The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
If you enhance the software, you can contribute your changes back to the project for inclusion in a future release. For the non-technical, ways to contribute to the community abound, by providing advice to new users, writing documentation or suggesting new features. Koha means ‘gift’ in the Maori language of New Zealand, where the system originated. If you appreciate the gift, you will want to give something back.
Though software that is open source is often not free of cost, it emanates from a superior model of software development. More on that in a future post.
