Press Release - DRIVER and eIFL.net sign Memorandum of Understanding

[Sophia Jones <Sophia.Jones@nottingham.ac.uk>]

***apologies for cross posting***

DRIVER and eIFL.net sign Memorandum of Understanding

PRESS RELEASE
September 29, 2008

DRIVER and eIFL.net - Electronic Information for Libraries - have 
identified demand for cooperation in order to progress and 
enhance the provision, visibility and application of European 
research outputs through digital repositories.

DRIVER is a joint initiative of European stakeholders, 
co-financed by the European Commission, to establish a flexible, 
robust, and scalable infrastructure for all European and 
world-wide digital repositories, managing scientific information 
in an Open Access model increasingly demanded by researchers, 
funding organisations and other stakeholders. DRIVER's mission is 
to expand its content base, supporting the global research 
community with high quality research output, including textual 
research papers and complex forms of scholarly electronic 
publication.

Rima Kupryte, Director of eIFL.net, said 'eIFL.net and DRIVER 
share the vision that research institutions should contribute 
actively and cooperatively to a global, interoperable, trusted 
and long-term data and service infrastructure based on Open 
Access digital repositories. This agreement includes joint 
approaches to consolidation of national communities for the 
European repository network and active joint dissemination of 
best practices of Open Access scholarly communication in 
countries and regions without such formal policy.'

Norbert Lossau, Scientific Coordinator of DRIVER and Director of 
the Goettingen State and University Library commented: "DRIVER 
can only be successful through collaborating with all relevant 
stakeholders and by including all countries. eIfL has an 
excellent track record in supporting developing countries. 
Cooperation with eIFL will contribute to the joint vision through 
an established communication network and enthusiastic pioneers in 
many countries."

Further information:
Rima Kupryte, Director
Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net)
c/o ADN Kronos, Piazza Mastai 9
00153 Rome, Italy
Tel: +(39)(06)5807216/17
E-mail: info@eifl.net
http://www.eifl.net/

Notes for Editors

eIFL.net is an international foundation that enables access to 
knowledge through libraries, supports and advocates for the wide 
availability of electronic resources in more than fifty 
transition and developing countries. This global network embraces 
millions of users in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the former 
Soviet Union and the Middle East.

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