Open DOAR: the Directory of Open Access Repositories

The last year has seen wide-spread growth in the idea of using open access repositories as a part of a research institution's accepted infrastructure. Policy development from institutions and funding bodies has also supported the growth of the repository network. The next stage of expansion will be in the provision of services and cross-repository facilities and resources. Of course, it is hoped that these will then establish a feed-back loop to encourage repository population and further repository establishment, as the potential of open access to research materials is realised. The growth of repositories has been organic, with a variety of different repositories based in departments, institutions, funding agencies or subject communities, with a range of content, both in type and subject. Existing repositories are expanding their holdings, from eprints to associated research data-sets, or with learning objects and multimedia material. This presentation will look at the development of the Directory of Open Access Repositories, OpenDOAR, and the way we intend to clarify the overall picture of repositories and their holdings. In providing this information, OpenDOAR should act as a bridge between data providers and service providers in analysing and listing repositories and facilitate the interchange needed to establish services. It will look at OpenDOAR's place as one of a number of registers of open access sources and repository based services and the scope of its initial survey of repositories. OpenDOAR is intended to help repository administrators in providing a better service for their users and facilitating repository growth. We will be asking what help we can give to repository administrators and to service providers to facilitate the development of innovative services like search, access, analysis and linking of repository holdings.