Open Source Software: Role of National
and International Organization
Dr. Mahendra V.Mete
Librarian
Shri Shivaji Arts & Commerce College, Amravati, India
metemahendra@gmail.com
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Abstract
• Software plays a vital role in information management.
Open source software revolutionized the education
field and the international organization like UNESCO,
UNDP FSF, IFLA, IOSN promoted open source in elearning, content management, digital library and
integrated library management fields. In India,
Knowledge commission under chairmanship of Sam
Pitroda recommended open source software for egovernance and information management. In India 95
Institutional repositories developed by using open
source digital Library software serving the academic
community.
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Role of UNESCO in promoting open Source
Software
• In 2001 UNESCO decided to embark on this relatively new
approach of not only providing the software for free but also
making the source codes in principle ‘open’, i.e. publicly
available on the website http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/.
• This has finally lead to a framework of its wider ‘Free and
Open Source Portal’ approach promoting the idea and adding
other software, e.g. Greenstone, into their ‘basket’ of
supported and promoted software for better professional
development also in the Southern and transitional countries.
• UNESCO’s FOSS Portal can be found at:
http://www.unesco.org/cgibin/webworld/portal_freesoftware/cgi/, with interesting links
to discussions of the FOSS history, licenses and case studies.
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Role of UNESCO in promoting open Source
Software
• From 'free' to 'FOSS'
• CDS/ISIS as a software has been 'free' and 'open' since its
early days, long before 'FOSS' (Free and Open Source
Software) became a known software model (or should it be
put in the reverse way : long before 'commercial closed
software' became widely practiced' ).
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United Nation Development Program
(UNDP)
• The Asia Pacific Development Information
Programme (APDIP) is an initiative of the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that
aims to promote the development and
application of new Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) for poverty
alleviation and sustainable human development
in the Asia Pacific region. It does so through three
core programme areas namely Policy
Development and dialogue, Access and content
development and knowledge management.
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International Open Source network (IOSN)
• The International Open Source Network (IOSN) is an initiative of
APDIP and supported by the International Development Research
Center of Canada. IOSN is a center of excellence for free /open
source software (FOSS), Open content and open standard in the
Asia Pacific region.
• IOSN provides policy and technical advice on FOSS to governments,
civil society and the private sectors. It produces FOSS awareness
and training materials and distributes them under open content
licenses. It also organizes awareness raising, training, research and
networking initiatives to assist countries in developing a pool of
human resources skilled in the use and development of FOSS .
• IOSN works primarily through its web portal www.iosn.net/ that is
collectively managed by FOSS community. The web portal serves as
a clearing house and a platform for knowledge sharing and
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collaborations.
IFLA working group on Open Source
Software
• One of the interest areas identified during the first IFLA IT section meeting
in Milan, Italy in 2009 was the furtherance of open source initiatives. Open
source group was formed under Edmund Balnaves discussed the ways in
which open source and open access initiatives can interact and the
possibilities for open source publishing systems to interact with open
source library services. These activities centered on two ways.
• Direct activities of IFLA IT section in promoting standards in open
source and publishing open source frameworks for libraries.
• Working with other agencies actively engaged in open source to
encourage regional support initiatives for open source,
recommended projects that facilitates adoption of open source and
work with UN/UNESCO and EIFL-Net in their open source initiatives.
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Recommendation of National
Knowledge commission:
• The National Knowledge Commission was set up by the Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh under the chairmanship of Sam
Pitroda, to prepare a blueprint to tap into the enormous reservoir
of our knowledge base so that our people can confidently face the
challenges of the 21st century. The commission made the following
recommendation on the e-gorvernance.
• “Because of the enormous size and scope of the e-governance
effort in India and because of the availability of globally
recognised software talent of Indians, we must actively
encourage open source software implementations and open
standards wherever possible. This will allow us to have costeffective solutions and help develop open software products
and standards.
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Recommendation of National Knowledge
commission
• Setup a national institute for advanced training and R&D
(suggested name: Indian Institute of Library and Information
Science) needs to be set up. The proposed Institute would
have two major functions:
• A. To offer training programmes in relevant areas and to
conduct continuing education programmes for library and
information professionals;
B. To identify, sponsor and conduct R&D programmes in the
fi eld of library and information science, including newly
emerging research areas. Among the areas needing
immediate R&D, the following were identified by the Working
Group:
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Recommendation of National
Knowledge commission
• Cross-language information retrieval, with an
emphasis on information in Indian Languages;
• Standardization of Indian names;
• Vocabulary control over Indian subjects
developed in terms of multi-lingual thesauri
and subject-heading lists;
• Development of open source software;
• Development of Digital Libraries, both in
English and Indian languages;
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Recommendation of National
Knowledge commission
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
C
Networking of Libraries
Infrastructure requirements for cataloguing, database creation and networking.
a.
Open source software should be used wherever possible at present and
eventually at all levels.
b.
An open source web-enabled library management software should be
developed if necessary and provided to all public libraries for facilitating
networking. This software should support multiple Indian language scripts and
dialects.
Networking of Public Libraries:
The networking agencies should ensure state-of-the-art technology with the
following features:
i. Open source platform for the software, which also supports multi-lingual
environment with multi-user and multimedia content creation capabilities;
Ii. Storage, dissemination and replication of the data through mirror sites,
gateways, Portals, and inter-library loan facilities;
iii. Capability to conduct exhaustive training programmes.
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National Resource Center for Free & Open
Source Software (NRCFOSS)
• NRCFOSS is an initiative of the Department of
Technology, Ministry of Communication and
Information Technology, Government of India
.NRCFOSS was setup in Chennai in April 2005 with the
twin roles of bridging the digital divide as well as
strengthening the Indian software industry. NRCFOSS
aims to contribute to the growth of FOSS in India
through Research & Development, Human Resource
Development Networking & Entrepreneurship
Development as well as serve as the reference point for
all FOSS related activities in the country including the
creation and maintenance of this national FOSS portal.
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Open Source Software Resource Center
• IBM Corporation, in partnership with Indian
Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) and the
Center for development of Advanced
Computing (CDAC), has established the open
source software Resource Center
(OSSRC).OSSRC’s goals are to develop, adopt
and disseminates solutions, education and
content that use open standards in support of
India’s economic development plans.
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Information & Library Network (INFLIBNET):
Working Group on Open Source Software
• INFLIBNET has established working group on open source software.
The objective & responsibilities of the centers are given below:
• “There are a number of open source software in the field of library
and information science that are available free of cost. The Centre
would create R & D facilities to study and contribute actively in their
development. The Centre would work towards adoption and
modification of open source software for LIS community in India.”
• INFLIBNET has developed SOUL 2.0 on Mysql Database; open
source database management software.INFLIBNET has developed
‘Open Journal System’ uses Open Journal Systems 2.2.4.0, which is
open source journal management and publishing software
developed, supported, and freely distributed by the Public
Knowledge Project under the GNU General Public License.
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CONCLUSIONS
•INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS
UNESCO,IOSN,IFLA PROMOTES OPEN SOURCE
SOFTWARE.
•THE VISION OF LIBRARY SHOULD BE OPEN
SOURCE AND OPEN ACCESS.
•IN INDIA IISC ,INFLIBNET,NRCFOSS AND
KNOWLEDGE COMMISSION PROMOTES OPEN
SOURCE POLICY IN E GOVERNENCE AND
LIBRARY AUTOMATION AND NETWORKING
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• Thank you.
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