NEKLS Tech Day 2009 - keynote

I didn't attempt to live blog yesterday because my typing on my ASUS Eee can be a bit iffy given the tiny keyboard. I've cleaned this up a bit but essentially what you are getting are the highlights of the session rather than a lovely, clean summary:

Amy Begg de Groff - keynote speaker from Howard County Library (HCL) in Maryland - her experiences as director of information technology:  how many $$ might be saved using Open Source software.

HCL overview: 6 branches, 6million items circulated annually; 316 public computer (using Ubuntu platform); 400 staff comp (65% running on Ubuntu, which is a Linux software)

Customers: computers are expected; not add-ons

HCL:

• uses a lot of open source software: allows the library to provide access to more resources because they can put money in other places like more databases; has created new partnerships
• fiscal responsibility: deployed Groovix. $25 total to set up for all 316 public computers - money didn't have to be spent on software licenses (e.g., for Microsoft products) 
• keep computers until they die - average computer age is 7 years - replace hard drives mostly & monitors 
• offer word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software using OpenOffice, listen to music, IM, full internet etc. on all their public computers, all using open source products
• some web sites don't work well with Linux - she's had conversations with those vendors and has convinced them to 'fix' their stuff
  

Defining Open

• affording unobstructed entrance and exit, not shut or closed, an open door, they left the door open
• suggests we read the book "The cathedral and the bazaar"
• freedom is knowledge, knowledge is freedom
  

Is it Free? Open Source software is written and supported by many people; it is for us, for education, for entertainment

HCL:

• libraries deliver equal opportunities for all;
  
• funded by taxpayer dollars;
  
• 24/7 with the internet
  
• use open standards
• browser neutral (most of the time)
• open discussion is key to library success
• strategic planning process ongoing and it's built into culture
• accessible to all
• they don't limit time on their computers
• • realized that 4pm-7pm was heavy traffic time so the staff created programs during those times so customers would would get up and free up the computers

• has a coder on site - Amy doesn't feel like that is an absolute necessity. But deploying open source needs is clever staff, not high level technical support.
• uses Firefox on their machines and in 1 year she got reports that 2 sites only used IE - she contacted the sites; 
• • opportunities every day to improve customer service - they do Firefox add-ons all the time and if they work, great, if not, they remove
• suggests that everyone should install the LibX toolbar
  

Libraries should make the choice to use free software because free and open are the foundations for knowledge.

Is Amy committing career suicide by going this route as some have told her? Should your budget show increases every year? She doesn't think so.

Her coder create their website and the code is available to all.

Their computers are nearly maintaince free; 5-7 years old
Open source seems easier to use; very user friendly

They aren't held in servitude by software licenses.

They've been able to deploy more computers for public (because they spend little on software licenses), less for staff to stand behind - they walk the floor - they aren't tied to the computer.

Their day - boot computers at 8; complete usually up by 9 - they walk the branches to see if there were problems - they shut them down at 9pm ; machines refresh after 15 min if no activity or if customer logs out.

Staff buy in - not 100% when they first began; some disagreed with the idea of no time limits on use. Their conversation: what are the computers for? this was where there was most controversy - had to talk a lot to get everyone on the same page - sometimes had to walk away from some of the conversations - some people quit.  Should people be playing games, email, banking? Some staff were uncomfortable with this but they saw happy customers and got positive press. Staff became more comfortable with the idea.

They added Ubuntu to staff desktops - branch staff loved because they were already web savvy - their computers now looked like customers, which made it better for them when interacting with their users.

• administrative staff were hooked on proprietary software - they had to retrain, look at workflows. Amy's technology staff made an effort to go ask daily how things were going.
  

• lunch 'n learns - IT staff would go to their branches and sit with laptop during lunch time and answers staff questions - including showing people how to use their email, shared calendars, and shared folders in the open source environment
• they built a staff intranet to post information rather than using email all the time
  

IT staff didn't want to help customers - didn't like having to do a reference interview to help figure out what was wrong - some had previously been in public services - but existing public services staff didn't know all the new stuff, so it made sense for IT staff to be involved - let it happen naturally - 5 of her 7 staff now do help the public - she prefers to play to peoples' strengths.

Accountability and trust when using open source software

• HCL experience with proprietary ILS - undersupported from the vendor - getting fixes & answers was painstakingly slow or non-existent
• feel open source is  more stable
  
• • Firefox is well supported and more secure than IE;
    
  • have always managed to find answers in courteous and civil way
  • none of their open source products have been hacked in 5 years

• 2 of her staff were unix guys the others were not
• • most not familiar with open source;
    
  • some were suspicious of the products - so they put stuff alongside each other Open Office & Word ; IE & Firefox and asked them to use
  • products are improving, e.g., openoffice3 is better than version 2; web conferencing - drivers may be the problem 
  • originally framed as MS = bad. don't talk about it this way; try to focus on the positive - her staff had been certified MS so it made them not feel as valued
    

HCL budget is $75K for equipment, peripherals ; another similar-sized county nearby is $210K.

How many library systems have gone open source?  Don't know.

Next up:
They use Sirsi Dynix with Aquabrowser - they are going to retire it and going to Koha (open source ILS currently being used by a number of Kansas public libraries) - the look of their OPAC will be similar to the current Aquabrower which is based on a locally created CMS which is also open source - email her if you like it - might go with DRUPAL or JUMA if she were to do it over, just to contribute to the open source larger movement.

Available open source products are listed on their website under > how do I > use public comp > [this lists all the software stuff they have that is open source]

Suggests trying to use about-to-be-retired computers and place Ubuntu on them. Let people experiment with different stuff. Place the computer somewhere where it can be easily accessed in staff areas.

Highly recommends: openoffice.blogs.com which has tips for using open office software.

Funny - she gets on meebo to talk to her IT folks about questions that are coming up in the session!