Free & Open Source Movement and Libraries

Free & Open Source Software in Pakistan: The Role of

PASTICBy

Syed Habib Akhter JaffriSenior Librarian

PASTIC National Center Islamabad

Pakistan Scientific & Technological Information Centre The Information Provider

Free Software• Free software movement was launched in

1983. • In 1998, a splinter group of this movement

advocated that the term “free” software should be replaced by “open source” software.

• Problem with “Free” was that it implied “Zero Cost” and not the intended meaning “Freedom”.

• CDS/ISIS or WINISIS A FREE SOFTWARE

What is Open Source Software

• First of all let us see what is:• Software?• Source?• Open?

History • IBM and others sold the first large-scale

commercial computers 1960some software which was free (libre),

• situation changed after the ``unbundling'' of IBM software, and in mid-1970s

• current open source software movement: late 1970s and early 1980s, Two different groups were establishing

Cont………………………

• GNU Project: General Public License (GPL), Richard Stallman

• CSRG: Computer Science Research Group 1991-1992: software development in general, was ready to change.

• 1993: both GNU/Linux and 386BSD Coining “Open Source

Why Libraries Should Use Open Source Software?Zero Cost– It is mostly available free of cost. – User support groups which are helpful and

responsive to users. Freedom– It can be used without any restriction.– Users can modify the source code and customise

them to suit their requirements – Even redistribute it.

Blake Carver’s modification of Ranganathan's Laws for software:• Software is for use.• Every computer its users.• Every reader his source code• Save the time of the user.• A system is a growing organism.

Head Office: Quaid-i-Azam University Campus, IslamabadSub Centres: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Muzaffarabad

PAKISTAN SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION CENTRE & ITS SERVICES

ISO 9001:2000 Certifiedwww.pastic.gov.pk

PASTIC The Information Provider

21st century is the century of Information & knowledge

More new information has been generated in the last 30 years

than in the previous 5000 years

Publications

PAKISTAN SCIENCE ABSTARCT

Articles from Pakistani S&T journals are documented in the form of abstracts are published in 10 S&T disciplines.

1. Agricultural Sciences 2. Animal Sciences3. Biochemistry & Biotechnology4. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences5. Earth & Environmental Sciences6. Information Communication

& Engineering Sciences7. Mathematical & Statistical Sciences8. Medical Sciences, 9. Plant Sciences10. Physics

Directory of Scientific Periodicals & Union Catalogue

Contains reference information of 300 Pakistani Scientific Periodicals

Serial holding data of 200 librariesAvailable on website: Union CatalogueIn print form and on CD-ROM

Trainings/Workshops

• Information Handling & Management

• Library Automation

• Intellectual Property Rights

• Science in Mass Media

• ICTs & Libraries

• Data Warehousing & Data Mining

• Information Security

• Technology Information for Industry & SMEs

Workshops and trainings are conducted for Human ResourceDevelopment in different areas. PASTIC has organized workshops & seminars in following areas from time to time.

Use of Free & Open Source Library Software’s: The Role of PASTIC

• 1989: 1st PASTIC/UNESCO PGI National Training on Micro CDS/ISIS, 16-30 August, Islamabad.

• 1990: 2nd Training Course on the Applications of CDS/ISIS, 7-28 February, Lahore.

• 1990: Training on CDS/ISIS, 3-8 November, Islamabad.

• 1990: 3rd PASTIC-NIDP-ASTINFO Course on CDS/ISIS, 15-24 December, Karachi.

Cont………………• 1991: Training on DBASE3P, CDS/ISIS, MSTAT

and SLIDE WRITE Packages, 16-23 December, Lahore.

• 1995: Library/Office Automation and Management, 18-24 July, Muzaffarabad.

• 1996: Training on CDS/ISIS Package, 3-7 November, Islamabad.

• 1998: ICT applications for Library & Information Management, 23-26 November, Islamabad.

Cont………………

• 2001: Training on WIN/ISIS for PASTIC Officers, 29 October-3 November, Islamabad.

• 2002: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 2-4 July, Islamabad.

• 2002 : Library Automation/Information Handling Techniques, 23-26 October, Jamshoro, Sindh.

• 2002: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 20-23 November, Islamabad.

Cont………………………

• 2003: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 2-5 June, Islamabad.

• 2004: WIN/ISIS Package for PAEC Libraries in different cities of Pakistan,14-16 June, Islamabad.

• 2004: Library Automation of S&T Organizations, 04-07 October, Karachi.

• 2004: Library Automation of S&T Organizations,13-16 December, Lahore.

Cont………….

• 2005: Training on WIN/ISIS Package, 7-19 February, Islamabad.

• 2005: Creating Value in Scientific and Technological Research, 3rd May, Islamabad.

• 2005: Library Automation of S&T Organizations, 9-11 May, Peshawar.

• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 20-29 May, Islamabad.

Cont………………..

• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 20-22 June, Peshawar.• 2005: WIN/ISIS Package, 23-25 June, Peshawar.• 2008: Training Workshop on WINISIS at

University of Agriculture, 12-13 June, Faisalabad.

Cont………………..