eIFL Open Source Software kick-off meeting

On 29-30 October 2006, eIFL.net hosted an international gathering of software developers, information access advocates and library representatives at the picturesque monastery of Eremo delle Grotte dei Frati Bianchi in the eastern Italian province of Ancona. Welcomed by the Mayor of Cupramontana to “create a new beginning in a place of quiet reflection”, the purpose was to launch a new eIFL.net program to foster the use of Open Source Software (OSS) solutions for libraries.

“Open Source is all about empowerment”, said Art Rhyno, a Systems Librarian at the University of Windsor and author of a book on OSS
and a report for eIFL in 2005. “This is not about dropping packaged solutions into resource poor regions, this is about giving people the tools and training to create their own solutions at the local level”, continued Rhyno. An immediate area of focus is the Integrated Library
System (ILS), typically the biggest technology expense in a library budget and identified by eIFL members as a priority for new solutions. “The ILS is a huge drain on a library's resources”, said Tigran Zargaryan, eIFL country representative for Armenia and Head of
the Automation Department at Yerevan State University Library. “More flexible options for ILS will go a long way towards enabling libraries in eIFL countries to offer more services and make a greater impact on the communities they serve”.

Erik Hatcher, author and a leading developer on Lucene, one of the
world's premier search engine technologies, attended the Cupramontana meeting. “OSS represents the state-of-the-art in Information Retrieval (IR) systems”, said Hatcher. “Libraries can put together
systems in ways that were not possible before and the use of Open Source by libraries represents a perfect partnership of software and organisations that serve the common good”, he continued. Marek Tuszynski, co-founder and partner of Tactical Technical Collective (TTC), best captured the spirit of the eIFL initiative in describing how TTC distribute Open Source Software in packaged CD collections and organise regional training workshops for non-profits in developing and transition countries. It is envisaged that eIFL will model its OSS activities on the innovative and successful approaches developed by TTC.

The first step is to finalise membership of an eIFL OSS Advisory Board. This will be taken forward by Tigran Zargaryan and Bess Sadler, a librarian and software developer for the University of
Virginia library, who will prepare revised Terms of Reference and will work with eIFL to identify potential partners. Sadler, who has worked as an international observer and has experience developing software and technical solutions for indigenous groups in Canada and Latin America, points to the historical role of libraries as a source of knowledge and mpowerment. "Access to information is vital for any kind of positive change in society. Libraries do a good job of ensuring this access. Our role is to support libraries in eIFL member countries, so that a lack of financial resources need not mean a lack of available knowledge."

Further information:
Rima Kupryte, Director
Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL)
c/o ADN Kronos, Piazza Mastai 9
00153 Rome, Italy
Tel: +(39)(06)5807216/17
E-mail: rima.kupryte@eifl.net
html: www.eifl.net