[Fsfe-uk] OpenOffice lending from Libraries

[Space Bunny]

To let you know copies of OpenOffice.org have been sent to libraries in 
Edinburgh and elsewhere  in Britain.  They are properly pressed and have 
a dvd case with a cover especially made for Library lending. There are 
special considerations for software lending from libraries.
The cataloguing required is a main element.

See:
http://wiki.northedinburgh.net/twiki/bin/view/NEgroups/OpenSource

This has been a project pushed forward by Bob Kerr who is involved in EdLUG

He said to me that he thought that this was first project of kind in 
libraries around the world. Is it? It was an effort to get them to 
consider putting software in the catalogue. These CDs have been 
officially approved by the Heads of Library information Services for the 
local councils that they represent. Bob and other helpers will be 
sending out 3500 CDs to all over the UK, Republic of Ireland, Guernsey.  
Once one library ready to do it others more likely to follow suit. 
Patrick Harvie MSP supported the project. Approaches were made to Rhona 
Brankin MSP in capacity as Chair of the Scottish Library and Information 
Council (the advisory body to the Secretary of State and Scottish 
Ministers on Library and information matters).

I hope to try to pull together some more info from Bob Kerr so you can 
know more about the project and how best to help get free software into 
libraries. But not sure when this will happen. So feel free to get in 
touch with Bob in meantime: robertnkerr at hotmail.com .

At moment it maybe easier to get software into libraries if associated 
with a book. As books is what used to and they have developed systems to 
deal with cdroms with books.

So one may want to request for your local library:

Moving to Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye! 
Marcel Gagne
Addison Wesley; ISBN: 0321159985
which comes with a version of knoppix ( http://knoppix.net ) .

It will be good to have software in libraries so people realise it is 
something that should be shared freely.

Also I showed Steve who works in my local library FreeDuc ( 
http://www.ofset.org/freeduc/ ) who is now a big fan of free software. 
It made him sad and angry given the computers they had installed in new 
'homework centre' were just set up like a cyber cafe with just web 
browsing (XP/IE6) provide by Syntegra (BT) with no thought for 
educational software that compliment what people are being taught like 
is included with FreeDuc.

Cheers,

Micah (aka Space Bunny)