Open source is a development system that is not coordinated by an individual or a central institution but by actors who collaborate by utilizing distributed and freely available source code (usually using internet communication facilities). This development pattern follows a bazaar-style model, giving the Open Source community the characteristic of being driven by a culture of sharing.

The Open Source model was born out of the freedom to create without intervention, allowing individuals to express their thoughts and develop what they want using suitable knowledge and products. Freedom is the primary consideration when releasing something to the public. Other community members have the freedom to learn, modify, revise, correct, or even criticize, but this freedom also comes with responsibility, not just unrestricted liberty.

At its core, the open-source concept is about making a software's "source code" available. Initially, this concept seemed strange because source code is the key to a software program. If the logic within the source code is known, others could theoretically create software with the same functionality. Open source is limited to this principle—it does not necessarily mean free of charge. The original definition of open source is as outlined in the Open Source Definition (OSD).

The development of Senayan was initially initiated by the National Education Department Library management. However, the Senayan Developer Community now plays a more significant role in its development. The following are some cultural principles upheld in Senayan's development:

• Meritocracy. Anyone can contribute. Those who contribute the most will receive more privileges than others.
• A minimal concern for library development. Examples include having a background in library and information science, working in a library, managing a library, etc. This ensures that a sense of librarianship is embedded in every Senayan developer/user. So far, all Senayan developers have been librarians or have an educational background in librarianship (Information and Librarianship).
• Release early, release often, and listen to your customer.
  • Release early means that every improvement and feature addition is released to the public as soon as possible. This allows the community to quickly identify bugs, report them to developers, and receive fixes promptly.
  • Release often means providing frequent bug fixes and feature updates. This pushes Senayan developers to continually innovate. Frequent releases also assure users that Senayan is actively maintained and has good sustainability. Moreover, frequent releases help with marketing by constantly reminding users and potential users of Senayan’s existence in an elegant way—through new releases. Since its first public release in November 2007 until July 2009 (approximately 20 months), Senayan has had 18 official releases.
  • Listen to your customer means that Senayan developers strive to accommodate user needs, whether reported through mailing lists or bug tracking systems. However, not all suggestions can be implemented; they must align with Senayan’s design and development roadmap.
• Documentation. Senayan developers recognize the importance of good documentation in ensuring successful implementation across different locations. Therefore, a dedicated team is responsible for maintaining Senayan’s documentation to keep it up-to-date with the latest releases.
• Senayan Developers Day. To accelerate development and foster stronger relationships among Senayan developers, an annual Senayan Developers Day is held, bringing together developers from various cities for collaborative coding sessions.