OStatic

Some of the organizations hardest hit by the sagging U.S. economy are non-profits and industries that rely on donations and public support to stay afloat. Museums and cultural institutions are turning to open source software as one way to deal with declining attendance and lack of funding to cover operational costs.

We've already mentioned one Web-publishing platform that makes historical archives accessible, but there are several other open source projects that address the different needs of museums. They're certainly worth a look by anyone who needs to manage a large collection or create an exhibit.

There are loads of terrific general Web publishing tools available these days, but some industries require specific features to meet unique needs. Omeka is a free and open source Web-based publishing platform designed with libraries, higher-level learning institutions, and museums in minds. Funded by philanthropic organizations and licensed under the GPL, Omeka makes launching an online exhibition as easy as launching a blog and is perfect for groups that don't have IT-specialists on the payroll.