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Abstract

In the 21st-century library automation is an integral activity of the library to enhance their quality services. Library automation has been started in India in the late 1970s with a few special libraries. After a few years, it spread in various places in India. Library automation started the journey with some proprietary software. But in the last two decades Open Source Integrated Library Management Software (OSILMS) is gaining widespread and the center of attention in the library. There are many Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) available for library automation in the market and are being instrumental in managing information and knowledge all over the world. Cost-effectiveness and the availability of source code are the major rationalities for LIS professionals to adopt OSS over the proprietary packages. In this paper, it has been tried to compare some open source software (Koha, NewGenLib) and proprietary software (LibSys, SOUL, TLSS, and Virtua). The study aims to develop a checklist for evaluation of library software which helps librarians to evaluate and select library software as well as helps them to investigate important features of integrated library software.

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