In the 21st century, we think of open source in terms of software or online full text access.  A documented beginning of open source can be traced to the early 20th century with the implementation of a tool called cross-licensing agreements, these agreements allowed automobile manufacturers to share technology in the form of patents for the benefit of American automobile industry.  In the 21st century The Cathedral and The Bazaar was the tool that gave the impetus for the open source movement.  The Cathedral and The Bazaar is ultimately, what brought the code for the browser Netscape into the public domain.  This decision resulted in Firefox. Open source continues to ramp up and the open source movement is including universities, colleges, corporations and libraries and if we take a lesson from the past all will benefit.