The Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories is in many ways, a needed national initiative, except for one small detail. It lacks courage, innovation, and risk. Learning how to keep all the files made by US software in Australian repositories is useful enough in itself, but wouldn’t it be grand if there were Australians who could actually make ‘digitally-born’ e-scholarly works themselves? At the end of the day this is a sophisticated archiving project, but archives can never exist in isolation. There has to be people that make innovative works to put in the archive. The repository movement must never be in the driving seat of scholarship, scholarship must be in the driving seat of scholarship. Australians build buses with no wheels, Aeroplanes with no wings, and repositories with no scholarship. (link)
The APSR Project aims to establish a centre of excellence for the management of of scholarly assets in digital format.
It has an overall focus on the critical issues of the access continuity and the sustainability of digital collections. It will build on a base of demonstrators for digital continuity and sustainability, embedded in developmental repository facilities within partner institutions. It will contribute to national strength in this area by encouraging the development of skills and expertise and providing coordination throughout the sector. It will actively provide international linkages and national services.
The project has four interlinked programs:Digital Continuity and Sustainability
Centre of excellence to share software tools, expertise and planning strategies.
International Linkages Program
Participate in international standards and maintain a technology watching brief.
National Services Program
Support national teaching and research with technical advisory services; knowledge transfer; consultation and collaboration services.
Practices & Testbed
Build expertise in sustainable digital resource management through partner relationships.
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