Romanian public libraries to use Open Source

Romanian public libraries can now use an Open Source library system for managing book loans and reservations, searching catalogues, managing library assets, maintaining a website and general administration.

The Open Source software for library automation IBLA, was developed over the last two years by a group of IT consultants working at the Military Technical Academy and Contact Net, a Romanian company. The developers Adina Riposan, Emil Mieilica and Iosif Biro hope the project will increase the use of Open Source software in the country.

The library project is financed by the Romanian and the Italian government, both countries wanting to develop an integrated public library system. The project was finished earlier this year.

The open-source Library system product has been tested by five libraries in Romania. It is offered free of charge to all the public libraries in the country. According to people involved in the project, several public, academic and not-for-profit libraries have expressed interests.

According to the developers, the IBLA system now covers the main functions of an integrated library system.

The system uses Java to offer the Library services that can be made independent of the client computer platform and also should ease adapting the system to other languages.

The project team hopes a community of developers can be created to continue the development. They would like to see the system adapted for use on hand-helds and other mobile devices and is hope to extend the system so it can handle payments for library services and digital content. Also on the to-do list is making the system easier to use for the visually impaired.

Source: IDABC (The European Commission Open Source News)