• Jason Casden, jmcasden@ncsu.edu, NCSU Libraries
  • Bret Davidson, bddavids@ncsu.edu, NCSU Libraries

The Code4Lib community has produced an increasingly impressive collection of open source software over the last decade, but much of this creative work remains out of reach for large portions of the library community. Do the relatively privileged institutions represented by a majority of Code4Lib participants have a professional responsibility to support the adoption of their innovations?

Drawing from old and new software packaging and distribution approaches (from freeware to Docker), we will propose extending the open source software values of collaboration and transparency to include the wide and affordable distribution of software. We believe this will not only simplify the process of sharing our applications within the Code4Lib community, but also make it possible for less well resourced institutions to actually use our software. We will identify areas of need, present our experiences with the users of our own open source projects, discuss our attempts to go beyond open source, and make an argument for the internal value of supporting and encouraging a vibrant library ecosystem.