Commercial Vendors and Open Source Software

From: David Dorman <dorman_at_nyob>
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 16:17:09 -0400
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
At 03:48 PM 09/06/2008, Jesse Ephraim wrote:
>. . . . . . .
>Since most librarians are not very technically proficient, and most
>libraries (outside of some large public ones or university systems)
>don't have techs on staff, they often buy into systems without knowing
>how to realistically evaluate them.  Many stay away from open source
>systems because they don't have anyone on staff who can install and
>maintain them, or they have some vague concept (often promoted by
>commercial vendors) of them being "unstable."

Jesse,

Please don't tar "commercial vendors" as being against open source: 
some of us develop, distribute and support open source software for 
libraries.  And please don't perpetuate the myth that commercial 
support is not available for open source software.

David


>
>
>Since hiring a devoted tech person with coding and other development
>skills is not possible for most small (and many mid-sized) libraries, we
>need to see library schools teaching those skills, or at least teaching
>students how to realistically evaluate ILS software.
>
>
>
>Jesse Ephraim
>
>
>
>Youth Services Librarian
>
>Southlake Public Library
>
>1400 Main St., Ste. 130
>
>Southlake, TX  76092
>
>
>
>Email:   jephraim_at_ci.southlake.tx.us
>
>Phone: (817) 748-8248
>
>FAX:    (817) 748-8250
>
>www.southlakelibrary.org <http://www.southlakelibrary.org/>
>
>uncommonly friendly service

David Dorman
US Marketing Manager, Index Data
52 Whitman Ave.
West Hartford, Connecticut  06107
dorman_at_indexdata.com
860-389-1568 or toll free 866-489-1568
fax: 860-561-5613

INDEX DATA Means Business
for Open Source and Open Standards
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Received on Sat Sep 06 2008 - 14:43:02 EDT