New: Key Findings From The Survey of Library Use of Open Source Software (Primary Research Group)

Primary Research Group has released The Survey of Library Use of Open Source Software.
The 122 page report ($) looks, “closely at how public, academic and special libraries are using open source solutions for email, integrated library systems, word processing and spreadsheets, the library website, server management, and content management and digital preservation software, among other applications.”
Key Findings from the Report Include:

• Nearly 91% of respondents said that they had never experienced any downtime using open source email alternatives

• More than two-thirds of the libraries sampled have ever replaced a commercial software system with an open source alternative

• Nearly 43% of the academic libraries in the sample use an open source alternative for content management software

• Public libraries in the sample spent a mean of 960 staff hours per year in adjusting or maintaining open source software systems

The questionnaire for the report was largely designed by Frederick Zarndt, consultant to Digital Divide Data, Content Conversion Specialists, DL Consulting and Chair, Newspaper Section, International Federation of Libraries and Associations.

Report Excerpt (7 pages; PDF)
Report Homepage & Order Info

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Associations and Organizations, Data Files, Digital Preservation, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Preservation, Public Libraries, Special Libraries