[OPLINTECH] [OPLINLIST] Open source state ILS, Evergreen project terminated

[Mann, James H.]

I'll add my 2 cents just for the heck of it.
If you have ever been involved in coordinating an ILS migration there are a couple things you look for, and maybe the project just didn't stand up:
1. How easy is it to migrate your data
2. Do you get all the same features and services on your go live date
3. How does the user experience vary and what training do you need
4. Who will maintain it and at what cost
5. How easy is it to migrate your data

I had a boss who once suggested that the big ILS vendors are a lot like the mob in that they don't own the brothels but they own the laundry business. Most ILS vendors "own" your data in some shape or fashion and the "divorce package" is often a large and hidden cost of any migration.

In my opinion I'll venture a guess that the decision wasn't made because of philosophy or techno religion but because the system just couldn't do the job.


Jim Mann
Technology Coordinator
Greene County Public Library
76 E. Market St.
Xenia Ohio 45385
(937)352-4000 x1210
mailto: jmann at gcpl.lib.oh.us
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." - Mario Andretti.


-----Original Message-----
From: oplintech-bounces at oplin.org [mailto:oplintech-bounces at oplin.org] On Behalf Of Owen Leonard
Sent: Friday, August 27, 2010 11:32 AM
To: Dan Will
Cc: Oplintech at Oplin.Org; Bob Neeper
Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] [OPLINLIST] Open source state ILS, Evergreen project terminated

> I don't want to add a negative to this but, I find that a lot of libraries
> are afraid to bet the farm as it were, on open source.

I hope people aren't put off by Open Source because they think they
have to maintain a Linux server all by themselves. The Nelsonville
Public Library has had Koha hosted off-site for a few years now, and
it has been a great move for us. Much better reliability for us.

Using Koha doesn't mean you have to wade in and start coding. That
part is just a perk: an open system which you can hack if you need to
or want to. If the system does what you want out of the box you can
sit back and wait for your royalty-free (if not maintenance-cost-free)
upgrades.

On the other hand, here at Nelsonville we've found that being engaged
users has a lot of benefits. By submitting bug reports, communicating
with developers, and even submitting fixes we've had a better return
on our investment. I would argue that this kind of engagement in and
of itself has improved the staff's satisfaction with the software.

  -- Owen

-- 
Web Developer
Athens County Public Libraries
http://www.myacpl.org
_______________________________________________
OPLINTECH mailing list
OPLINTECH at oplin.org
http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
Search: http://oplin.org/techsearch