Making Open Source Available in Libraries

Paul Lewis points“to this Newsforge article about one person’s crusade to get open source software into UK libraries for borrowing. Here’s a How-to document.”

December 15, 2003 by Uncategorized 5

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5 Responses

  1. ChrisTheCat says:
    December 16, 2003 at 12:18 am

    Linux User Group already discussing…
    This was noticed and posted to our local Linux User Group, which is discussing how to implement this in public libraries in Iowa. Suggestions welcome…

    Reply
  2. Anonymous Patron says:
    December 16, 2003 at 1:59 am

    Re:Linux User Group already discussing…
    The easiest way is to talk to your local librarian, explain that they are available in Edinburgh libraries and therefore why not in IOWA. Most librarians will not know what OpenOffice is, If you show them TheOPENCD. They will probably get very interested because of what it can do. Especially, mention the idea of Copyleft.
    I have found talking with local polititians about this helps a lot. Think of it, It hardly costs anything and they get lots of credit.

    When I wrote the recommendations. I was aiming very high on purpose. A quick talk with your local librarian and you may find they are makeing them themselves and happily ignoring everything I have said. Brilliant

    A cardboard box with old copies of CD’s in it with the liability statement on it is also a good start

    Cheers

    Bob

    Reply
  3. Anonymous Patron says:
    December 16, 2003 at 2:06 am

    Re:Linux User Group already discussing…
    Local CD vendors will make the CD’s and covers in any specification you want. Once a rough standard is made then the rest are easy to do. If you get one supplier to make CD’s to your specification then they can sell them to anyone in the US for a couple of dollars each.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous Patron says:
    December 16, 2003 at 1:38 pm

    Please use plain text ascii in your messages.
    Please use plain text ascii in your messages sent by email.

    Do not use the so called rich text format of proprietary commercial software
    because people should not have to use the same proprietary commercial software
    to communicate with their government.

    See also
    http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments. html

    Reply
  5. crow says:
    December 16, 2003 at 8:39 pm

    You could always donate some books too…
    The OpenOffice 1.0 Resource Kit has OpenOffice on CD in it. Yes, it isn’t as exciting as having your library declare itself an open source supporter and the version in the books won’t be the latest and greatest, but it gets the program available to users fast, and with documentation. The folks who don’t have connections decent enough to download OpenOffice are not likely to be techies to begin with–they like to have books available to teach them what to do.

    I made a point of ordering OpenOffice books for our libraries so that it IS available and I can steer folks towards it who need it. Many of the people in our district aren’t well off, and while most computer vendors throw in a word processing package, they may be getting second-hand computers that lack one, so I wanted to have an alternative available for them.

    Here’s several books currently available:

    Oooswitch: 501 Things You Wanted to Know About Switching to Openoffice.Org From Microsoft Office
    by Granor, Tamar E.
    ISBN: 1930919360 Pub. Date: 2003/09/01 Binding: PAPERBACK
    Publisher: Hentzenwerke Pub Inc
    Price: 49.95(USD)

    Openoffice.Org for Dummies
    by Leete, Gurdy / Finkelstein, Ellen / Leete, Mary
    ISBN: 0764542222 Pub. Date: 2003/12/01 Binding: PAPERBACK
    Publisher: Hungry Minds Inc
    Price: 24.99(USD)

    Openoffice.Org Resource Kit
    by Haugland, Solveig / Jones, Floyd / Haughland, Solveig
    ISBN: 0131407457 Pub. Date: 2003/03/01 Binding: PAPERBACK
    Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr
    Price: 39.99(USD)

    Reply

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