"a discussion of practical issues with open-source in libraries, including the common perceptions that using open-source requires in-house expertise, and that commercial support is not available. Neither is necessarily true, as there are hosted services and a small but growing list of companies specializing in support of open-source library operations. Lots of those present were interested in the actual process of acquiring and migrating to an open-source ILS. The consensus was that open-source migrations are about the same as commercial migrations, but that there are some significant differences in the initial review and selection process. Specifically, assessing the health of a company and an open-source project are different things. Also, the usual RFP approach is to list features and see which service matches them–which doesn’t include the option to build the feature or have it built, as is possible with an open-source project. It is additionally entirely possible that the selection process will include dealing with the project, the support vendor, and possibly a developer of additional features. This creates a “gap of information” between the usual commercial process and what’s possible with open-source. Filling that gap is an additional part of the selection process, as is addressing the tendency to be skeptical of open-source and to have blind faith in products one pays for. Many of the concerns about open-source also apply to commercial vendors."

"Wynn’s decision to use Ubuntu made a big impact on her library’s pocketbook and the resources she offers her community. With the money she saved using Linux, Wynn recently purchased twice as many new computers and upgraded her equipment considerably, including buying quality routers and an improved DSL router modem. She also upgraded her library’s automation software, which runs on a Linux machine. She held on to half of her library’s older computers—extending their life considerably using Ubuntu—and donated the remaining machines to local agencies that work with children. Wynn’s impressive resourcefulness guarantees a longer life for her computers while offering the programs patrons expect and the processing speed they desire."