The  Selection Between An Open Source And

Vended Software in Libraries:Opportunities & Risks

Jenny Jing

July 11, 2016

1. Academic Libraries & Challenges2. Technology, Vended Product & Open Source (OSS)3. Project Management & Software Development 4. Library Technology & OSS 5. Functional Requirements, Opportunities & Risks6. Selection and Evaluation, Opportunities & Risks7. Summary

Overview

Technology

Data/Resources

1. Academic Libraries & Challenges

UsersStakeholders

$, Time

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachman_Framework

2 Technology工欲善其事He who wishes to do his work well

必先利其器Must first sharpen his tools

Types Pros ConsOSS Freedom: licenses

FunctionsCustomize & fixReduce CostCommunity/Collaboration

Selection, tracking codes Lack of support, maintainStandards, risksDocumentation Security? Stable?

Vended Product

Stable productUsabilitySupportDocumentationSecurity

One-size-fits-allCostCan’t customizeSlow to fix

Vended Product & Open Source (OSS)

Organizational Adoption of Open Source Software: Barriers and Remedies.

What: ScopeWhy: Goal & PurposeWho: Responsibilities When: Time FrameHow: FunctionsResources/CostRisk/OpportunityQuality Control

3. Project Management: Vended Product vs OSS

Vended ProductUsabilitySales PersonFixed Time FrameRFPCostTraining/SupportTesting

OSSUsabilitySystem, developerTime consumingFunctional requirementsFree, other resourcesSecurity, Maintain, Reliability

Testing/co-operation

Software Development Lifecycle: Vended Product vs OSS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_development_life_cycle

Plan & Analysis

• Systems analysis• Facts & Requirements• Integration & testing• Evaluation

Vended Products Selecting the OSS:• RFP * Study, research• Vendor marketing * Communities/Other libraries• Consulting service * Experts’ recommendations

Software InfrastructurePlatformsILS: Voyager, AlephILL, Etc.

Link resolver : 360 Link library guides: LibGuidesOnline databases

IR (Scholarly Publications): DSpaceDAM (Digital Preservation): IslandoraDiscovery Systems: SummonWebsites: Library Homepage

4. Library Technology & Challenges

Type OSS OSS OSSILS Koha Evergreen NewGenLib IR DSpace Eprints Digital CommonsDAM Fedora Islandora ContentDMExhibition Omeka Open Exhibits Collective AccessArchive AtoM ArchiveSpaceDigital Preservation

Archive-It Archivematica

RDM CKAN Dataverse

Library OSS

5. Functional Requirements: Stakeholders

Managers

Staff

Users

Resource/$

Workflow

Usability

Outputs: • Project Goal/Time Frame/Resources/Cost• A List of Functional Requirements by made by Modules: • A Table of Role/Responsibilities: Who, When, What• A Table of Opportunities & Risks: H, M, L• Use Cases/Standards/How to test & evaluate

Vended Product vs OSS • Cost/Resources• Functions/workflow• IT staff’s skill sets• IT Staff’s attitude• User experience• Feedback/review

Functional Requirements : Stakeholders

https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/4618/5454

Types Opportunities RisksOSS Cost

FunctionalityUser ExperienceCommunity, co-operation

Functional requirementsQA Control, VersioningStaff Skills/TrainingTime

Vended Product

Stable productUsabilitySupport, Training

One-size-fits-allCostCan’t customize

Opportunities & Risks : Stakeholders (Sample Project)

System/AdminInterface/Web Data/DBData: Queries, Perl, XML,DB: Oracle, MySQL, AccessTools: Perl, Excel, XSLT

Programing: php, Javascript, html, etc.Publish Tools: Drupal, WordPress

Server: Shell scripting, config, maintain, etc. OS: UNIX, WindowsEditor tools: Vi, Pico

Functional Requirements: Systems

Vended Product vs OSS • Release activities• Community activities• License and documentation• Functions/Features • Users’ population, longevity• Programming languages • Technology components• Integration: Work with other systems • External: IT, Third party support

Functional Requirements : Systems (Sample Projects)

https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/4618/5454

Opportunities & Risks: SystemsTypes Opportunities RisksOSS Functions

Customize & fixImprove User ExperienceEnhance co-operationTest and Evaluation

License, ProductivityInstallation, ConfigurationMaintain, Admin, UpgradeSupport: CommunityDocumentationReliability, Security

Vended Product

Stable productSupport, TrainingDocumentationSecurity

Vendor lock-inCostCan’t customizeSlow to get help

Web pages

ILS

DAM IR RDM

DS

Mobile Access

Library Data(metadata)

Functional Requirements: Data & Database

FunctionalRequirements

Functional Requirements : Data & Database

• Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL• Data Format and Size• Search Engine: Solr• API access to data• Import/Export• Schema/Standards• Query language• Maintain, Upgrade• Migration

https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/4618/5454

Opportunities & Risks : Data & Database (Sample)Types Opportunities RisksOSS Reduce Cost

FunctionsImprove User ExperienceEnhance co-operation

Data Format and SizeSchema/StandardsImport/ExportMigrationSearch, Query languageDocumentation

Vended Product

Stable productUsability, StandardsSupportDocumentation

CostData Format and SizeCan’t access the databasesData Format and SizeSlow to get help

6.Selecting & Evaluation: Sample Project Functionality Reliability Usability Efficiency MaintainabilityPortabilitySecurityCompatibility

Evaluating Open Source Software Quality Models Against ISO 25010

Opportunities & Risks: Sample Project

Managers

Staff

Users

Cost/ Resource

Workflow

Usability

7. Summary

Functions, Opportunities

& Risks

Data FormatSizeMetadataSecurityImport/Export

Hardware/SoftwareConfig, maintain

Functions, Opportunities

& Risks

Functions,Opportunities

& Risks Ideal Solution

Sample Project: DAM/IR Selection

1. Big Picture2 Scan 3.Functions 4 Research 5. Case 6. Test

Selection : Vended Product vs OSS

Web pages

ILS

DAM IR RDM

DS

Mobile Access

Return vsResources/Cost

References• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachman_Framework (1992)• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_development_life_cycle• Major Open Source ILS Products: https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/view/4618/5454• Evaluating Open Source Software Quality Models Against ISO 25010• Success and Abandonment of OSS Library Management Systems: http://

publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/djlit/article/view/8866• Moving Towards the Next-Generation Library: BRAC University Experience

Thank you!• 独木难成林• A tree does not make a forest