--- Doug Riddle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As we discussed, I submitted a project to > sourceforge with the > following outline: > > This project is aimed at putting Open Source > documentation, Software > and avenues to local technical support in all public > libraries. > We aim develop an "adopt a library" program > throughout the United > States, if not globally. > > Our mission statement will become more defined and > evolved as our > project grows legs. > > Currently our aims are to: > 1) Encourage groups and individuals to adopt and > support Pubilc > Libraries and endow them with Open Source software. > 2) Institute a "branding" concept that will let > librarians, end users > and auditors verify the software via a checksum > database, or other > mechanism. > A) This will help ensure that copyrights and other > concerns are not > brought up. > B) ensure that the CDs actually contain the > information cited on > the label and not copyrighted, or objectionable > material. > C) Enable the librarian to check for latest > versions. > 3) To put Open Source software into the hands of > people that might > not otherwise be able to obtain it. > 4) Enable people interested in Open Source to have a > well established > avenue for obtaining not only the software, but > support for it as > well. > 5) Support niche applications currently burdened by > expensive > software. > A) For example: Farmers who currently pay > astounding amounts for > specialty software. > B)Schools and teachers who currently cannot afford > the hardware to > run the "state of the supply" software. > C) To provide alternatives to people and > organizations that cannot > afford to upgrade thier hardware, but need increased > reliability and > "reach" with their current hardware, or donated > hardware. > > Our methodology, as currently envisioned, is to > provide the public > libraries with CDs for check out and copying. We > hope to be able to > provide the libraries with a way to create CDs on > demand. We aim to > provide documentation, Open Source software, and > contacts for > technical support. > > Our hope is to contact and capitalize on the various > Librarian > Associations to help put Open Source in the hands of > the people that > need it most and have the least access to it. > > We are the Baton Rouge Linux User Group > (www.brlug.net) and we want > you to get involved with us. > > -------- > It will take up to three business days to hear from > them. I will of > course keep you informed. > > After some searching on the web, I went with PLLUG > as the name of the > project. Public Library Linux User Group. We can > of cource alter > that but all the good anagrams were taken. > PLLUG.org is open for > registration. PLLUG was not my first choice, it was > the first one > (of very many) that seemed memorable and was open > for choosing as a > dot org. > > I wasn't sure if this should go out to the general > mailing list or > not, so I sent it to you two gentlemen.
Damn, Doug. You're making me feel like I'm not needed here. :) Thanks. Good write up. My notes were pretty much the same thing. How about FOSSILE (Free and Open Source Software In LibrariEs)? PLLUG is good, but it is kinda skewed towards Linux then (genuflect in the direction of RMS). I was thinking it would be cool if Larry Ewing drew up a logo for us of Tux pulling a little red wagon full of CDs. Here's my take on the mission statement: ----------------------- The aim of Project X is to place free and open source software on public library shelves around the world to make it more easily available to the general public. Why? 1. The aims of the Free|OSS community and public libraries are the same: intellectual freedom. 2. Public libraries are properly seen as an essential element in communities, so are a logical choice for Free|OSS advocacy. ----------------------- Eh, I'm not real happy with my mission statement yet. What do ya'll think? Doug, thanks again for jumping into the breech. ;) Reminder to those interested: this discussion will be moved to a SourceForge mailing list as soon as it is ready. John Hebert __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
