Webinar companion post

Introduction

On 14 January 2025 we held our first webinar of the year, in which Sam Goldsmith (Business Development Manager – PTFS Europe, sam.goldsmith@openfifth.co.uk) talks about open source library software: what it means, the community, common misconceptions, and what makes it great for libraries and archives.

The webinar was presented live on Teams for registered attendees. A recording was made of the session, with the Q&A section held outside of the recording to allow for openness in discussion and privacy of attendees. 

What is open source?

Open source software refers to systems with publicly available source code that can be freely used, modified and shared. No licence fees, no ‘copyright’. Widely used open source software includes Firefox, Linux and WordPress. 

Here in the library world, we have a range of open source software solutions to support with LMS, discovery, repositories and archives. Examples in the library world include:

• Koha: LMS
• Evergreen: LMS
• VuFind: Discovery layer 
• Aspen: Discovery layer
• Metabase: Analytics
• DSpace: Repository.

PTFS Europe specialises in open source library software. We have customers using all of the software on the above list with the exception of Evergreen. 

The oldest / longest running open source software in the library world is Koha. Created in New Zealand, Koha celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first installation in 2025. 

Why PTFS Europe only works with open source library software

Doing good business whilst being good people!

There are three core ethical values that support everything we do here at PTFS Europe, to be:

• Economically responsible
• Environmentally conscious
• Socially equitable.

We believe that choosing open source is the best way we can ensure we align with these principles.

There is no overinflation of costs with open source, we only “sell” support and hosting for the product – we do not own it. All our pricing is open and fair, based on the size and activity of the service for hosting and support. This is the same for all libraries, archives or government departments we work with, no matter the sector or size. 

Open source shares code, with its worldwide community ensuring there is no bloated programming that would start to impact who can use it. Some very famous proprietary codes are very complex in comparison and require bigger servers to provide a responsive service. This also means that the servers open source software can run on are smaller and use less energy. We make a commitment to deletion of unnecessary code, setting up withdrawal and archiving data, and only using server providers that can prove carbon neutrality. Our company is carbon net zero and virtual from its inception, this is important to us. 

Finally, social equity. Open source ensures that individuals can access the benefits of the software and every update free of charge. We are very proud to be members of a global community that provides new developments for even the tiniest of libraries with no budget. 

We discuss our ethical values in more depth in the ‘Values’ blog series on the PTFS Europe website.

Benefits of open source software for libraries

The benefits for libraries are many and varied, including:

• Cost savings on licensing.
• Fast-paced development – as development is community-driven, it tends to be swift in comparison with proprietary software. Development often comes via the consumers themselves sponsoring and requesting new features.
• Shared development costs across institutions – developments are sponsored, occasionally by an individual institution but often shared across institutions. This allows community members to help support what they would like to see. Support companies like ourselves also allocate budget to “pay back” development time in the community.

Customer portals can look unique – there is no fixed state of “this is what your users will see.” At PTFS Europe we customise the portal for you as part of implementation. Here are some unique examples of customer portals for Koha:

Benefits of open source software for libraries (continued)

• Freedom in integrations – essentially, if it has an API, you can connect to it. There are no restrictions on what self-issue machine you can use, what reading list or discovery platform. The open source software is agnostic – it can link up to open source and proprietary systems.
• Freedom in support and hosting provider – if you choose open source with support and are ever unhappy with the service you’re receiving, you can take your open source system to another host and support company. This means your staff can keep using the systems that they love. This is not available for most library systems! 
• Translations – because open source is global, it tends to have an active community of translation. You do not need to pay extra to access this.
• Manuals – they are open and extensive, edited and maintained by the community. Out of date information is quickly found and updated. 
• Community info and training – the open source community lends itself fantastically to sharing of practices. If you face an issue or want to expand your knowledge, it is likely that another community member has also come up against it or has shared resources you can refer to. There is always a range of videos and guides available for you to use, as well as pre-prepared reports you can utilise.

Open source library software communities

The open source systems supported by PTFS Europe, such as Aspen Discovery, Koha and Metabase, all have active and engaged global communities of users. Another aspect that is quite different from proprietary systems is that the community drives and sponsors the development of systems, bringing to life the improvements and features they want to see. The communities are made up of:

• • • • • Individual users of the software (self-hosters)
        • Software developers
        • Support company employees
        • Support company customers.

Throughout these collaborative and open communities, there is a lot of activity, plenty of support, and many opportunities where you can get involved as much (or as little) as you would like. 

Available community events and support forums include:

• Annual conferences – held globally throughout the year.
• Webinars, open discussions and video guides – generated both by individuals and support companies including PTFS Europe (see our YouTube channel), with an active community and customer support. This can include “how-to” videos, training guides, and ways to promote your development wish lists. 
• Online chat platforms – used to share practices, troubleshoot queries and raise bugs. For the Koha community, there are channels on Mattermost (new to Mattermost? See our helpful guide and video for more information). 
• User groups – available throughout the UK, organised by region or library sector. 

• Shared bug-fixing and development portals – such as the Koha development Dashboard, GitHub and Bugzilla. Being open source means that you get to see what is happening and areas of focus for your chosen system. Look like a lot of bugs? Interestingly, features and enhancements are also termed bugs! Find out why in our YouTube video Why is a bug called a “bug”?

Common misconceptions about open source

There are still quite a few misconceptions about open source. In this section we look at the most frequently encountered. 

#1: Open source is zero cost

At the basic level, yes, the open source library software itself is freely available. However, ‘free’ refers to the accessibility of the source code, there are costs to consider alongside the software.

If you choose to self-host, there are costs involved with server hosting, which can be local (with upgrades regularly required) or cloud-based. Additionally, you may need an in-house specialist for data migration, development, updates and support for the software. Due to the importance of the systems, additional personnel may be required with the skills to be prepared for absences or employment changes. 

Many libraries choose to use hosting and support companies, such as PTFS Europe. Instead of paying for software licence costs, you’re paying for the migration, development, updates, support and hosting, all through an annual agreement. 

All that being said, open source can be better value! Especially against software which charges per licence or per user. At PTFS Europe, we ensure that the costs we charge our libraries are fair, calculated transparently and communicated clearly, with no hidden fees. 

#2: Open source is less secure – our IT department won’t like it!

Statistics such as “reported open source vulnerabilities have risen by 51%” can be touted to play into fear about open source software. What they don’t explain is that this is actually a very positive statistic! Reported being the operative word; this means that enough eyes are on the software to spot AND fix vulnerabilities. The community is working well in sharing their knowledge and protecting users. This is a good thing that should be encouraged. 

Open source projects often have a dedicated security team that works to identify and resolve vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered. Additionally, the collaborative nature of open source development globally means that any security issues are quickly identified and addressed by the community. Also, there is no commercial pressure or incentive to hide security concerns either! 

At PTFS Europe we are certified to Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001. Accordingly, you can rest easy knowing that our tech team is proactively tracking your server for suspicious activity, blocking bots, updating security patches, ensuring that your system performance is optimised.

Common misconceptions about open source (continued)

#3: You need an in-house expert for open source software

This is only the case for completely in-house systems, where you need a systems developer / manager and the internal IT infrastructure to support it. 

PTFS Europe was created to bridge the gap between needing an in-house software expert (or becoming one) and having no control at all. We are very aware that most libraries no longer have large task-separated teams that include systems librarians. 

Using open source with a support company is a solution offering the best of both worlds. If you want to, you are free to change your service settings, add new users, create new reports and notices. You can change how your OPAC or user portal looks and functions as well as get involved in community-wide developments. However, you are also free to simply rely on your support company to look after your system, as well as anything between these options. 

Using open source software with PTFS Europe, you can keep:

• Autonomy of system change and how your OPAC / user portal looks
• Fast pace of development (that you can influence)
• Annual upgrades
• Fantastic community.

Without the need for:

• In-house experts
• In-house hosting
• Extra fees for new licences or users
• Fees for upgrades.

#4: You can fully customise to your preferences

This is true in theory – but there is a reason that in practice most choose not to go further than customising the user portal. 

Most open source library software requires an update at least annually. If the system has been extensively customised, it can be broken every update and need to be customised once again. Consequently, in many cases upgrades end up being put off until they are no longer supported by the community. This leaves an increasingly daunting task when the time comes around to update the software. 

Working with support companies such as PTFS Europe is a great way to avoid this update pain. We track changes and make sure that anything we develop is suitable to be shared back to the community – meaning your adaption will be in future versions too! 

#5: Only non-conformists use open source software 

According to the 2024 OSSRA report, 77% of codebases assessed originated from open source. It is probable that you use software every day that is linked to, contributes towards, or originates from open source, including Microsoft, Google, IBM, Amazon Web Services, and Netflix. 

Interestingly, a large proportion of code used within proprietary systems was originally open source too, although this might not be advertised. The UK Government is confident in open source as the future and providing best value to the public, leading to them promoting preference for open source over proprietary systems in tenders. Additionally, point three of the Technology Code of Practice (2021) is to ‘Be open and use open source‘.

The below map, provided by Library Technology Guides from statistics on libraries.org, shows the distribution of recorded Koha library locations worldwide. The database totals 5,719 locations; 3,423 public libraries (red marker), 985 academic libraries (green marker), and 51 other libraries (blue marker). And yet this is only those who have registered on the site, there are thousands more not included in this count!

We hope this webinar and companion post have been informative on why open source is an excellent choice for your library or archive!

Want to know more about how we can support you? Reach out to the PTFS Europe team via sales@openfifth.co.uk. 

PTFS Europe webinars

We hold webinars twice per month throughout the year to share information with our library communities on our products, their features and how to get the most out of them, as well as the wider open source environment. 

This year we will be running two series of webinars:

The ‘Essentials’ series:This series aims to cover the basics of open source library systems and is ideal for those who are not already familiar with or would like a refresher on open source software and the PTFS Europe way. 

The ‘What you can do with…’ series: This series aims to give a more product-specific or advanced insight into a topic and is ideal for those who have some familiarity with open source library systems or anyone keen to learn more. 

To ensure we’re covering what our community wants to hear about, the topics will be set quarterly – see our website for upcoming webinars and register to attend via the PTFS Europe Eventbrite page. 

We encourage live attendance to join in the Q&A and share perspectives; a recording of the session will be shared with registered attendees.

If you have any suggestions or questions – contact Lauren at lauren.purton@openfifth.co.uk.