Libraries have long embraced open-source software as a practical alternative to costly proprietary systems, but participation in these communities often stops at the download. Many library staff assume that contributing back requires programming skills they don’t have — leaving a significant gap between what libraries consume and what they give back to the tools they depend on.
This session challenges that assumption. Contributing to open-source projects takes many forms: writing documentation, translating interfaces, submitting bug reports, testing new releases, and advocating for features that serve library-specific needs. None of these require writing a single line of code.
Drawing on real examples from libraries of varying sizes and resource levels, this session explores what motivates institutions to start contributing, what barriers they encounter, and what sustainable participation looks like when staff are already stretched thin. The session also addresses how to make the case to administrators that time spent on open-source contribution is time well spent.
Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of the contribution landscape, concrete first steps regardless of technical skill level, and a framework for building institutional support for ongoing participation.
