Through open source, resource-seeking individuals can secure viable and diverse data from repositories or information clearinghouses that do not require membership or registration of any kind.
The Open CourseWare Consortium represents a global education collaborative initiative that provides free digital education materials; “OpenCourseWare are free and openly licensed, accessible to anyone, anytime via the internet” (OpenCourseWare Consortium, n.d.).
Yang and Hofmann (2010) discuss the impact of open source or OPACs (online public access catalogs) on libraries. The authors note that “Over the past three years,libraries, vendors, and open-source communities have intensified their efforts to develop OPACs with advanced features” (p. 141). Specifically, the comparative study reviewed-- Koha, Evergreen, and WebVoyage-- two open source and one proprietary library system. The goal and purpose of the study was to identify and describe the library of the future, of the next generation. Among the findings, Yang and Hofmann (2010) found that librarians suggest “to attract users, the next-generation catalog looks and feels similar to Google, Amazon, and other popular websites…The underlying assumption is that some Internet search engines are popular, and a library catalog should be similar to be popular themselves” (p. 142). In other words, OPACs should be appealing and feature enriched content, RSS feeds, search and resource recommendations, easy navigation and interface.
From print encyclopedias, the Dewey decimal system, to microfilm and microfiche, this level of access falls nothing short of fascinating. The Open Courseware Consortium lists many of the academic institutions and organizations that believe in this shared educational model. Some examples in the U.S. include Arizona State University Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tufts University, University of California, Irvine and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Reference
OpenCourseWare Consortium. (n.d.). http://ocwconsortium.org
Yang, S. Q., & Hofmann, M. A. (2010). The Next Generation Library Catalog: A Comparative Study of the OPACs of Koha, Evergreen, and Voyager. Information Technology & Libraries, 29(3), 141-150.
