Evergreen almost live!
This weekend is a very important one for anyone that has hopes or an interest in an Open Source ILS. The Georgia PINES system is launching their new Open Source Integrated Library System this weekend. They are set to be live on the morning of Tuesday, September 5, 2006. The success or failure of Evergreen, fairly or not, is going to go a long way to having more Open Source Systems in the future, or for there to be a new barrier to others trying it. I can just imagine an administrator somewhere saying to me “Georgia tried it and they couldn’t do it, so what makes you think you can?” Well, I am sure I’m not alone in thinking Georgia can do it along with really wanting them to succeed.
Knowing what my college and some others pay for commercial ILS contracts (and what little support and development they actually get in return) shows me that a very small group of libraries could pool there resources to make a viable Open Source ILS and save money at the same time. This is especially true now that we have functioning systems such as Koha and Evergreen to use or, at least, base our systems on. With more and more Open Source indexing and other tools available, it won’t only get easier to develop the next generation OPAC system. What we need is people willing to take a risk like the folks in Georgia are doing now and the Horowhenua Library Trust did in 2000. I think the building blocks are there and the time is right. All it will take is some leadership in this area. I know there are systems people in libraries who want to take the challenge and all they need is to get the decision makers to help out. Once we get a small but noticeable number doing it, more will jump on board. I have confidence with this as I have seen it happen to a smaller scale with using LTSP on public computers in New Jersey public libraries. Once two or three started using it and library directors started to talk, more and more went with this solution very quickly.
Systems people need to educate decision makers that Open Source doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be supported in-house or only by “the community” anymore (if it ever did) There are other options where companies provide support for Open Source Systems in Libraries including LibLime, ELB Internet Services, and Indexdata. Open Source doesn’t mean only community support anymore (if it ever did). Personally, after reading stuff or hearing presentations (and in once case talking to personally) leaders, of library automation companies, I think you will see a shake up – including some of the vendors jumping to a more open system (if not an open source system) and then focusing on support – at least for the core ILS. There just is not enough money to be made in developing the core ILS for the vendors to put a lot of effort into it. However, if the systems were more open, they could make money by selling support and premium products.
Godspeed Evergreen!