shelfless

I’m a big proponent for using open source software when I can. Of course I use Open Office instead of Word if can, Firefox instead of IE, Audacity, whatever I need, I try to go open. It’s worth a shot. As a user I fall into the ‘consumer’ and ‘lurker’ categories. I don’t have the kung-fu to add to the software in anyway, but I’ll use it. I’ll promote it if it’s good. I think it’s an important role for all of us to play.

As librarians it’s a no brainer to be promoting and using these open source services when we can. Don’t they promote the same values that we apply to our own services? Sharing information, working together to make what we do better?

If you can’t get into for the sense of community good, in times of shrinking budgets it just makes good sense.

Check out Open Source Living

“Open Source Living is a community-driven dynamic archive of Open Source software spanning all major platforms. Through a simple, elegant and efficient presentation of resources and information, OS Living aims to highlight small and large OSS projects, to inform and raise awareness to OS ethics, and to reinforce the credibility of OSS as a viable alternative to corporate funded, closed source software.”
-from their about page.

Thanks to the LibrarianInBlack for the heads up.