Talk:CRIG Future of Repositories (Article Series)

From DigiRepWiki

Repository Manifesto: A Declaration of How Repositories Should be Developed into the Future.

(DRAFT ideas - do adapt and contribute!)


People have been struggling to find a definition for repositories. We accept that the term will remain fluid; names, technologies and communities will change over time and according to current trends. However, we do see a set of common virtues that every true repositorian follows and needs to implement in order to implement a successful repository service.


manifesto

  • users and usability/usefulness over mandates and measurements
  • ongoing evolution and adaptation to local context over out of the box repository services
  • openness and collaboration between repositories over do it /all/ yourself and for yourself


principles

  • Continual development is a must, repositories will never come to the point where they should not be developing new services and methods of delivery.
  • live openness: expose objects and offer entry points for services; do not build repository islands
  • don't try to establish a "single point of service", rather take the service to the user and into his/her diverse environments (incl. user as well as university systems such as CRIS - current research information systems)
  • interweave with the user's primary application environment (e.g. scientific workflows)
  • embed into / interface to the most prevalent public communication environment at the time (currently: the web architecture)
  • Development should be done so as to embrace the web architecture whenever possible (reuse the ubiquitous code and frameworks that are being widely adopted).
  • the repository is not a piece of software (that can be left to dust on some server), rather it is a system alive of (organisational) context, people, and activities
  • it is ok not to have lots of deposits; rather it is the reuse of those existing objects and how high the profile of the repository is with the user that shows ist effectiveness
  • Use of the word "repository" should be for our profession only, when speaking with people outside of our community we must present a unified front for how we market ourselves. Use of the word "digital library: or...???
    - this kind of moved into the first paragraph. - ok?!


references