DARE: new academic information project from the Netherlands

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Of possible interest.
_______________________________________
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 12:00:49 EST
From: Neil Beagrie <Nbeagrie@aol.com>
Subject: DARE: a new age in the provision of academic information
To: DIGITAL-PRESERVATION@JISCMAIL.AC.UK

DARE: a new age in the provision of academic information

With the award of a NAP grant of 2 million euros for the period 2003-2006,
the Dutch government is giving a strong boost to innovation in the
provision of academic information in the Netherlands. DARE (Digital
Academic Repositories) is a collective initiative by the Dutch
universities to make all their research results digitally accessible. The
Koninklijke Bibliotheek [Royal Library], the Koninklijke Nederlandse
Academie van Wetenschappen [Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and
Sciences] and the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
(NWO) [Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research] are also
collaborating on this unique project. Coordination is being taken care of
by the SURF Foundation, the ICT partnership organisation for higher
education and research in the Netherlands.

DARE anticipates developments in the provision of academic information, in
which information and communications technology has come to play a
dominant role. DARE is modernising the management of Dutch academic
information by putting an infrastructure system in place and providing
advanced services for the digital recording, accessing, storage and
distribution of the Dutch academic output. This will greatly improve the
visibility of and access to the academic output. This is being done in the
same way at all the institutions, each institution retaining its
individual responsibility and exercising its own management, without
duplication in storage and in the maintenance efforts. The standards used
are robust in relation to future advances and are closely aligned with
international developments, enabling the information to be exchanged
nationally and internationally in a highly efficient way. Digital
availability, based on open, international standards, simplifies the
further use of the information for various purposes. Examples are
publication in traditional or new journals (including electronic ones),
long-term storage at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek [Royal Library],
inclusion in the NWO's Open Sources system and incorporation in digital
learning environments for the future.

In the present situation, the visibility of and access to Dutch academic
research leave much to be desired. In the fast-changing world of academic
research and communications, changes are needed if the Netherlands wants
to maintain its position in the academic world. Linking up with
international developments in this area, such as the Open Archives
Initiative, is crucial. A national effort to achieve this is needed.

In DARE, all the parties concerned are combining forces and existing
smaller-scale projects are being brought together. Enhanced accessibility
to their research will benefit the public profile of Dutch scholars and
universities. With DARE, the Dutch institutions for university education
and research will be better able to create a framework to fulfil their
social responsibility for recording, providing access to and efficiently
utilising their research. In this way the institutions, and their
scholars, will be able to take up their positions in a better and more
efficient way in the rapidly changing world of the provision of academic
information.

SURF

SURF is the ICT collaboration organisation for higher education and
research in the Netherlands. The universities and hogescholen
(universities of professional education) collaborate in SURF regarding ICT
developments in the areas of ICT and Research, Education and Organisation,
and regarding the networkinfrastructur of SURFnet and the software
licences of SURFdiensten.

Note: A summary of DARE is available on the SURF website (www.surf.nl)
under 'News'.

For further information please contact:
SURF Foundation
Mrs C.G.E. van Hattem, communications manager
Leidseveer 35
Postbus 2290
NL-3500 GG  Utrecht
T +31 (0)30 234 66 00
F +31 (0)30 233 29 60
W www.surf.nl
E vanhattem@surf.nl

************************************************************************
Drs. Gerard M. van Westrienen
programme manager  - Stichting SURF
Leidseveer 35
Postbus 2290
3500 GG Utrecht
The Netherlands
W: www.surf.nl
T: +31 (0)30 2346600
F: +31 (0)30 2332960
E: vanwestrienen@surf.nl

The SURF Foundation, Stichting SURF in Dutch, is the higher education and
research partnership organisation for network services and information and
communication technology.