Image courtesy of the UCSB library
About us¶
UC Santa Barbara has a strong history of leadership and innovation in open source software development and open science. However, expertise and resources have traditionally been distributed across various parts of the campus. The Open Source Programs Team at UCSB serves as a central hub, bringing together open source activities, expertise, and community connections.
We’re here to answer any and all questions about open source at UCSB. We
provide all the services described on the
Network’s Services page, in collaboration with our
partners across the Network. Send us an email at ospo@library
If you’d like to keep up with our activities, please consider joining our mailing list, which includes a monthly newsletter and occasional announcements. You can unsubscribe at any time.
UCSB Open Source Lounge¶
Starting October 1 2026, the UCSB Open Source Lounge will meet every week! The UCSB Open Source Lounge is a co-working space where UCSB students, faculty, and staff of all experience levels can come work on their open source goals in a supportive environment. Join us to meet others interested in open source and be a part of a larger open source community at UCSB.
All-campus meetup¶
A monthly gathering for the UC open source community. Each meetup is hosted by a different campus in the network. The main content may consist of demos, guest speakers, or something else, and the end of the meeting is reserved for network updates and Q&A.
Sustainability Playbook¶
Since our recent survey showed that many open source contributors are struggling with project sustainability, we are creating a website with resources on the topic. We are calling it the “Sustainability Playbook”. It will be tailored to UC throughout, pointing readers to the relevant staff offices that can help, with tips and tricks for navigating UC’s administrative channels. The playbook will be rich with interviews from UC developers and project stewards discussing how they have so far succeeded in sustaining an open source project.
UC Open Source Survey¶
In 2025, our team spearheaded a survey of nearly 300 open source contributors as part of the UC OSPO Network’s discovery activities. You can read more about the UC Open Source Contributor Survey here.
What’s the status of the UCSB OSPO?¶
At present, UCSB does not have a dedicated Open Source Programs Office. Rather, we have a cross-functional team of UCSB staff with expertise in open source who are developing the strategies, know-how, and connections needed to create an OSPO. Building on the work of the Open Source Programs Team, the OSPO will draw on resources developed by the UC OSPO Network, and its priorities will be shaped by both UC leadership and the UCSB open source community.
Get connected¶
To stay informed about our activities, join our mailing list.
For inquiries, email us.
We’re also on Slack! Get the invite link here.
Our team:
Virginia Scarlett, Open Source Programs Specialist
Amber Budden, Associate University Librarian for Digital Strategies
Jonathan Balkind, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Greg Janée, Director, Research Data Services, UCSB Library