Section Article

Utilisation and Availability of Open Source Software in Bookshops
Author(s): Varun Pruthi

Abstract
The transformation of the global knowledge economy since the early 2000s has significantly reshaped how bookshops manage their internal operations digital infrastructures customer engagement practices and information systems. Traditional bookshops once dependent solely on physical inventory and offline business processes have increasingly integrated software-based tools to optimize supply chains automate cataloguing streamline transactions and improve customer experience. Among these software solutions open source software (OSS) has emerged as a critical enabler of low-cost digital transformation allowing bookshops—especially small and medium enterprises—to enhance operational efficiency without incurring prohibitive licensing expenses associated with proprietary software. OSS provides opportunities for customization community support interoperability and sustainable technological adoption making it particularly relevant for bookshops seeking to modernize while maintaining cost-conscious strategies.