I’ve written a couple of times in the last year about open source software because the VALNet consortium, the consortium my library district belongs to, began using the Koha open source ILS last April and because we at the Latah County Library District decided to start loading all of our new public computers with Libre Office instead of Microsoft Office.

Recently I started keeping an eye on a website run by Lyrasis, FOSS4LIB (at http://foss4lib.org), because I’m very interested in free and open source software.  Not just because it’s free, but also because of the whole community based idea behind open source software.

Anyway, FOSS4LIB is a great resource if you’re interested in finding free and open source solutions that may work in your library.  There is an index listing different types of software packages available and detailing what software packages are available in each of those areas.  There are open source options available for everything from discovery layers to OPACs, to ILSes to software to help you manage reservations for study rooms.

And if you’re unfamiliar with the possibilities Free and Open Source Software has for your library, you’re in luck.  FOSS4LIB is holding a series of webinars in January – April to help people learn about FOSS4LIB and what open source software can do for your library.

GHW