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The use of open source software is one of the trends seen in parliamentary libraries, according to an overview published by the United Nations in July. "Open source solutions have now reached a sufficient level of maturity in the area of library management and digital library systems that they provide an effective alternative to commercial systems", says author Edmund Balnaves.

The writer, information officer at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, says open source solutions are likely to co-exist rather than replace commercial systems. "There is always room for new software innovation in both areas."

The adoption of open source versus the use of commercial software depends on the degree of local support available to either approach, Balnaves says. In the book, 'Information and Communication Technologies in Parliamentary Libraries', he adds that the challenge is to select and scrutinise the professional support, internally and externally.

The handbook is published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the IFLA. It is meant as a reference for parliamentary staff to help transform their libraries into an ICT-based institution.

Productivity
The book deals with the acquiring of software and ICT services, describes core library services, gives an overview of archives and record management, introduces trends in social media and web 2.0 and discusses the use of measures and statistics to improve the library's services.

The book introduces many open source solutions that are useful for parliamentary libraries. For instance, in chapter 3, on core library services, the book includes a brief case study on the use of Koha, an open source library information system, and Dspace, an open source document system for access as well as archiving, in the Library of the Parliament of New South Wales, Australia. In the same chapter Balnaves details Scriba, an ebook tool developed by the IT department of the Italian senate. More generic open source tools that are mentioned in the reference guide include content management systems and tools for office productivity.

The use of open source is one of six ICT trends Balnaves spotted in parliamentary libraries. The others include open access, semantic web and interoperability.

More information:
Global Centre for ICT in Parliament announcement
How to run a Parliament on Open Source Software (2004)