Open Source is a development model that is not coordinated by a single individual or central institution, but rather by participants who collaborate by using freely available and distributed source code (usually through internet communication facilities). This development model adopts the bazaar approach, making the open-source community characterized by a culture of sharing and contributing.

The open-source model emerged because of the freedom to create, think independently, and express ideas by using suitable knowledge and products without outside interference. Freedom is the primary consideration when software is released to the public. Other members of the community are free to study, modify, revise, correct, or even criticize the software. However, this freedom comes with responsibility—it is not freedom without accountability.

Essentially, the concept of open source is to make the source code of software openly available. At first, this may seem unusual because the source code is the key component of software. Once the logic behind the source code is known, others can create software with the same functionality. However, open source only means that the source code is open; it does not necessarily mean that the software is free of charge. The original definition of open source is stated in the Open Source Definition (OSD).

The development of Senayan was initially initiated by the library managers of Indonesia's Ministry of National Education (Depdiknas). Today, however, the Senayan Developer Community plays the primary role in its development. The following are some of the principles and culture established in developing Senayan:

1. Meritocracy. Anyone can contribute. Those who make greater contributions are granted more privileges than others.
2. Commitment to library development. Developers are expected to have an interest in library development. Examples include having an educational background in Library and Information Science, working in a library, managing a library, and similar experiences. This helps ensure that every Senayan developer and user possesses a strong sense of librarianship. So far, all Senayan developers are librarians or have an academic background in Information and Library Science.
3. Release early, release often, and listen to your customers.
   • Release early means that every bug fix and new feature should be released to the public as quickly as possible. This allows the community to identify bugs, report them to the developers, and receive fixes in subsequent releases.
   • Release often means providing frequent updates with bug fixes and new features. This encourages Senayan developers to remain creative and continuously improve the software. Frequent releases also strengthen users' confidence in Senayan's sustainability and active development. Moreover, regular releases serve as an effective marketing strategy by continually reminding current and potential users of Senayan's existence in an elegant way through its updates.
   • From its first public release in November 2007 until July 2009 (approximately 20 months), 18 official Senayan releases had been published.
   • Listen to your customers means that Senayan developers continually strive to accommodate users' needs, whether submitted through mailing-list reports or the bug-tracking system. Naturally, not every suggestion can be implemented; each must be evaluated according to Senayan's design principles and development roadmap.
4. Documentation. Senayan developers believe that comprehensive documentation is essential for the successful implementation of Senayan in many institutions. Therefore, the development team has a dedicated documentation group responsible for keeping Senayan's documentation up to date with each new release.
5. Developer collaboration. To accelerate development and strengthen relationships among Senayan developers, Senayan Developers Day is held at least once a year. During this event, developers from different cities gather to work together on coding and software development.