Purpose – Little is known as to the breadth and diversity of Open Source Software (OSS) applications
for libraries and the development characteristics that influence the sustainability and success of
projects creating them. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by analyzing a large sample
of library OSS projects.
Design/methodology/approach – A total of 594 library OSS projects (469 from SourceForge and
125 from Foss4lib) are classified by type and further differentiated and assessed across a number of
criteria including, but not limited to, sponsorship status, license type, and development status.
Findings – While various types of library OSS applications were found to be under development and
in use, the results show that there has been a steady decrease in the number of projects initiated since
2009. Although sponsorship was significantly positively associated with several indicators of OSS
project success, the proportion of sponsored projects was relatively small compared to the proportions
reported in some other contexts. In total, 71 percent of the projects have a restrictive license scheme,
suggesting that the OSS ideology is valued among library OSS projects. The results also indicate that
library OSS projects exhibit several characteristics that differ from the traditional developer-oriented
OSS projects in terms of their technical environment.
Originality/value – This study, as the first of its kind, offers a broader, more quantitative picture of
the state of library OSS applications as well as the development characteristics of projects developing
them. Several implications for research and practice, and directions for future research are provided.
Keywords Open Source Software, Software development, Library systems, Software licensing,
Software sponsorship
Paper type Research paper