Repository software developers need to engage more with those who run
the repositories, that is, those who choose and use the software. For
open source software this would appear to be a natural process, but
can it help make the software more sustainable? And can the community
that evolves to do this be sustainable too?
The EPrints Community project set out to investigate both questions.
It produced a sparkling new version of EPrints software (v3), but
showed why successful and sustainable community involvement remains a
difficult and elusive goal. The report has lessons for repository
software, community building and the management of related services.
How these approaches evolve and interact is going to have a big
impact on which repository software is successful in the longer run.
To find out more, see the final report from the JISC EPrints Community project
http://ie-repository.jisc.ac.uk/115/
Steve Hitchcock
EPrints Community Manager
IAM Group, School of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 7698
Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 2865
EPrints Insiders, the EPrints Community blog
http://www.eprints.org/community/blog/
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