The characteristics and motivations of library open source software developers: An empirical study

• This study examines the characteristics and motivations of library open source software (LOSS) developers.
• LOSS developers join their respective projects later in their career than peers in the general OSS developer community.
• The results indicate that there is more female developer participation in LOSS projects than general OSS projects.
• Possession of CS and/or MLS degrees, in conjunction with library work experience, influences LOSS participation.
• The results indicate high intrinsic and internalized-extrinsic motivations in LOSS developers.

Although there is an abundance of literature regarding the motivations of open source software (OSS) developers, researchers have not examined the specific motivations and characteristics of developers participating in library open source software (LOSS) projects. The characteristics and motivations of 126 LOSS developers associated with SourceForge, Foss4Lib, and Code4Lib are explored through an online survey. The questionnaire included items measuring select demographic attributes; scaled items measuring intrinsic, extrinsic, and internalized-extrinsic motivations; and open-ended questions. In comparison with the general OSS community, the results indicate that LOSS developers have high levels of intrinsic (i.e., altruism and fun) and internalized-extrinsic (i.e., learning and personal needs) motivations, higher diversity in gender, higher levels of formal education, previous library-related work experience, and a strong library ethos. Using this research, stakeholders can devise strategies to improve participation in LOSS projects.