Open Source Software and the Library Community
Abstract
This paper examines whether the library community should support the development of open source software, software whose incensing allows its source code, the part of a computer program that is readable by human, to be redistributed and/or modified without restriction or charge. Included is an investigation into the present state of library-specific open source software and a discussion on the ideological and practical strengths and weaknesses of open source software in general. In addition, this paper explores the similarities between the "hacker culture" of the programming world and the traditional "gift culture" of the library community. Problems implementing open source software solutions are discussed, as are the strengths and weaknesses of library-specific open source software. In the final analysis, the support of open source software is seen as a positive step for the library community as it builds on the community's strengths while minimizing its weaknesses.
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