ROSE Blog Interviews: Barbara Irwin, Loads of Linux Links Maintainer

“Recently I received an email from Barbara Irwin, a Linux user
since 1997. After 30 years in the library business, Barbara retired
about nine years ago. “After retiring, I was looking for a useful
and interesting project in Linux and/or open source,” she says. “As
it happened, a neat project literally fell into my lap via my local
LUG, which I had been participating in,” she adds. The neat project
is website called Loads of Linux Links.

“Barbara says that the database was started by a fellow VLUGer,
who gave it up when his job required him to be overseas. Now
Barbara maintains the site in her spare time. “The purpose of the
Loads of Linux Links project is to collect, organise, classify and
maintain important URLs about Linux and the Open Source movement
for all levels of Linux users,” she says. “It features special link
collections: latest 100 links, ‘cool’ and ‘must see’ links. There
is also a Linux News Highlights Atom feed.” She says that the
project is a good fit with her librarian skills and knowledge in
classification and database issues. “I have fun reading the Linux
and open source news and interacting with folks around the world,”
she says. “I try to keep the database selective and on the small
side, because otherwise those 404s would drive me crazy! I also try
to include active, community-driven projects.”

“I replied to Barbara’s email and she answered some questions I
had about her retirement, Linux in libraries, and her participation
in the open source community:”

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