Adapting Digital Libraries Open Source Software to Meet the Users’ Needs: the case of the University Algiers 1 Central Library

Abstract

Open source software have been able to impose themselves in all areas in a short period of time thanks to their particular characteristics. The field of libraries has not escaped from the modern technical orientations. A great number of world libraries have invested in these software to activate and develop their services. The Algerian university libraries have chosen the way towards the use of these software in shade of the shortage of their budget and the possibility of benefitting from these software free of charge on the Internet with the availability of their source code and the possibility for amending them in line with the needs of these libraries. One of these important experiments is certainly that of the University Benyoucef Benkhadda – Algiers 1- Central Library in using Dspace system. Throughout our study, we will highlight this experiment via the identification of, on the one hand, the degree of its benefit from the means provided by this software, and, on the other hand, the power of the library in adapting it, so that new services can be developed for responding to some of the users’ needs.