Women in Open Source: Joy Nelson

by Kalleen Marquise on Mar 10, 2021

This month we are interviewing some wonderful women in the open source community! Here are some excerpts from our interview with Joy Nelson of ByWater Solutions.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and your current role in open source.

My current role is the President of the Koha division at ByWater Solutions. We provide data migration, support, development needs, and hosting for Koha, a library services platform. I came into my role at ByWater through my love of data. Previously, I've worked in database management and software testing. I received my MLIS in 2010 and working at ByWater has allowed me to combine my love of libraries and library data!

What led you to open source?

Consulting on open source software for a library association after grad school launched my career in the world of open source. I found vibrant communities, open access to data, code and software features driven by need and not profit. This tied tightly in with my core values of librarianship and I knew I was home.

What is a favorite project, experience or memory related to open source?

One of my favorite projects is Linked Data. The possibilities that come from enriching our data by linking it to other various data sets is exciting!

What do you love about open source?

Community without a doubt. I love the cooperation and collaboration between individuals across the globe to make sure that Koha is the best software.

Community without a doubt. I love the cooperation and collaboration between individuals across the globe to make sure that Koha is the best software.

What is something you are listening to or reading right now?

Currently I'm reading the Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Amabile and Kramer. I'm also reading a few Jenny Colgan books (they are addictive) and for book club next month is Stiletto (The Checquy Files, #2) by Daniel O'Malley.