Open Source Software solutions in Indian libraries

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the Open Source Software (OSS) market relevant to Indian libraries and more specifically, to review the existing library automation, i.e. Integrated Library Management System (ILMS) and Digital Library (DL) software solutions. Design/methodology/approach – Survey method was adopted to collect data for this study and the sample population for this study included 356 library professionals. Findings – The study findings indicate presence of OSS like Koha and NewGenLib in the ILMS category and Dspace, Eprints and Greenstone in the DL software category in India. The study also indicates that there is considerable interest among Indian libraries to adopt or migrate to OSS. Research limitations/implications – The sample included largely, more than 80 percent, responses from the academic library segment and hence the results and analysis maybe more skewed to the academic library segment. However the implications of this study could be extended to other type of libraries and facilitate library professionals to make software choices with respect to library automation. Originality/value – In addition to exploring the opportunities of OSS implementation in Indian libraries, the study includes issues related to migration, implementation, budget, training, etc. The study would have value for library professionals and OSS vendors to understand the Indian library market in the context of OSS.