Motivation for the adoption of open source software in Kenya academic libraries

The paper seeks to demystify the misty of selected software by explaining the skills, facilities, equipment and economic sustainability required for the University library to realize the acquisition, installation, and implementation of the open source software, challenges and how to minimize these challenges. In the face of budget cuts and increased accountability, University libraries faced a challenge to prove their value and remain visible and to remain as a catalyst in supporting the teaching, learning and research missions of their Universities. University libraries must demonstrate their ability to lead and to adapt their roles in response to changing circumstances. Libraries are increasingly being asked to play an important role in the development of more effective arrangements for managing, sharing and preserving data created or gathered by researchers. In an ever-changing technology landscape, the capacity to learn constantly and quickly is more relevant than ever, and is the primary motivation of this paper.