| Due to the rise in popularity and consideration of Open Source Software in all sectors from education to government to business, it has become critical for all decision makers to understand the concept, philosophy, merits, demerits, availability and implications of OSS for their organizations. In a library environment, budget, time and staffing either predicate or prevent technology initiatives. Today, while users' needs are growing, library budgets are shrinking. In this context of an ever increasing need for technology and ever decreasing resources to acquire these new products, Open Source Software offers libraries an attractive solution. There is a general lack of awareness and interest among Saudi library authorities with regard to adoption of OSS. This paper provides an overview of the deepening relationship between libraries and OSS, highlights the need, benefits and drawbacks of OSS and reviews variety of existing open source applications for libraries. This is the first inclusive study tracing growth and development of OSS in Saudi libraries. |