One of the objectives of DRIVER II has been the building of an organisation around the DRIVER infrastructure, capable of maintaining it over time. A process of consultation has revealed the need for an organisational model of partners representing the repository community, comprising organisations and individuals that represent a common strategic interest in Open Access scholarly communication rather than in a common technology.
An independent investigation was conducted, providing insight into the way such an organisation could be shaped, taking into account its networked and cross-border character, as well as its wide ranging stakeholder community and their differentiated needs. The goals of the new organisation, COAR, the Confederation of Open Access Repositories distinguishes between the need to continue the DRIVER network as an operation, and the need to work globally at the spread of Open Access Repositories by lobby, by influencing policy development and by providing guidance and training. COAR will be a lightweight organisation, a “registered not-for-profit” Association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) with the host seat in Göttingen, Germany.
Summed up in the catch phrase- coined by Subbiah Arunachalam, the Indian guru and protagonist of Open Access - as ‘reaching the unreached’, the extension of the vision of DRIVER from a primarily European focus , to serve the development of a global knowledge infrastructure can sanction no “untouchables”. ...
Aim of COAR: COAR is an international not-for-profit association that aims to promote greater visibility and application of research outputs through global networks of Open Access digital repositories.
COAR strives to achieve this aim in pursuing two main goals.
The first goal set concerns the operation, maintenance and further development of the DRIVER Confederation not as a project but as a sustainable and viable operation
The second goal set concerns the more general and strategic goals with respect to development, advocacy, and representation of Open Access and repositories. ...
COAR will be launched during Open Access Week 2009. If you are interested in participating in COAR, a nominal membership subscription of €100 is envisaged in the first year, with banded subscriptions thereafter, based on organisational budget, to be agreed by the first General Assembly. ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 9/24/2009 04:32:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
