Is your library "connected"? I mean connected to FOSS community outside your doors? Do you know who is working with FOSS in your local community? Do you have regular contact with them, perhaps through your friendly local Linux User Group (LUG)? And if not, how do you get your library involved with your local FOSS community?

I want to combine two really useful suggestions that came my way recently.

The first, as indicated by the title of this post, involves the world-wide FOSS awareness raising event: Software Freedom Day. This year Software Freedom Day (SFD) is on Saturday, 20 September. It is a worldwide celebration of free and open source software, a fun time to come together with like-minded individuals and share some of your enthusiasm for FOSS. Local teams form to decide how best to mark the occasion. Activities range from parties, to workshops, to distribution of free cds or dvds with FOSS software, and more. It can be a lot of fun and there is no good reason why librarians shouldn't have fun too!

There is a really useful guide to what you can do for Software Freedom Day. That can help if you want to form your own local team and do your own thing. Or you could choose to link up with some other team in your city or region and work with them on their activity planning. Here is a map showing where teams are registered around the world.

Which brings me to the other useful suggestion that came my way.

One of the resources that libraries have is space - a place where people can come together to meet and share ideas. If you are looking for an opportunity to connect with local FOSS groups, then one of the easiest routes is to offer to host an event for them. Use your library space to your advantage and make that your contribution. Let the people you invite in provide the content for a talk or a workshop or just a meet and greet. It doesn't need to be tremendously formal. It just needs to happen.

Oh, and one more thing. Tell us about it!

If you are planning an event with local FOSS enthusiasts, whether for Software Freedom Day or for something else entirely, do let us know. We would love to share the story of your event/meeting/workshop/dinner with photos and even brief interviews for podcast.

What will you do to celebrate Software Freedom Day?