When the Linux Association of Canada launched its Open Source Software Library, the goal was straightforward: make it easier for Canadians to discover useful open-source software in one accessible, organized place.

The numbers are now beginning to show what happened next.

The LAC Open Source Software Library has recorded 5,310 downloads.

For us, that number matters.

Website visits tell us that people are finding the Linux Association of Canada. Page views tell us they are exploring our resources. A software download represents something more: someone found an open-source application that interested them enough to take the next step.

And those downloads aren't concentrated on a single piece of software. People are exploring applications across the Library, reflecting the enormous range of tools available in the open-source ecosystem.

From a Library to a Working Resource

We didn't build the OSS Library simply to create another list of software.

There are already plenty of places on the Internet where someone can search for an application. Our objective was to create a curated resource as part of a broader Canadian open-source ecosystem — alongside Linux education, migration resources, community organizations, employment opportunities, and our other initiatives.

Seeing more than 5,300 downloads tells us that the Library is serving that purpose.

It also reinforces something we've believed since launching the Linux Association of Canada: there is a real appetite for practical, accessible open-source resources.

People aren't merely reading about open source.

They're using it.

Measuring What Matters

We've also been improving how LAC measures activity across our website.

Our analytics distinguish website activity from automated traffic wherever possible, and our download statistics are tracked separately from ordinary page views. That gives us a clearer picture of how resources are actually being used.

At the time of writing, our download system has recorded:

5,310 OSS Library downloads

In addition, LAC's Media Kit has recorded 77 downloads, bringing total tracked downloads across these resources to 5,387.

Keeping those numbers separate is important. We want the statistics we publish to be meaningful and transparent rather than simply presenting the largest number available.

This Is Only the Beginning

The Open Source Software Library will continue to grow and evolve.

We're continuing to improve the information available for individual applications, make discovery easier, and connect the Library with other LAC resources designed to help Canadians learn about, adopt, and work with open-source technology.

Every one of those 5,310 downloads represents a small interaction.

Someone needed something.

They searched.

They discovered an open-source option.

And they chose to explore it.

That's exactly why we built the Library.

Explore the LAC Open Source Software Library and discover what open source can do for you.