RE: Role of arXiv

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

HMMMM, We see huge value in robust subject repositories that 
present readers with tools and content appropriate to their 
disciplines.  My not-so-secret hope has been that subject 
repositories will thrive and endure, and will not depend on the 
existence of thousands of institutional repositories.

Ann Okerson/Yale Library

------------------- Message requiring your approval ------------------
From: Stevan Harnad <harnad@ecs.soton.ac.uk>
To: "Liblicense-L@Lists. Yale. Edu" <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: Role of arXiv

[SNIP]

No one wants Arxiv to disappear, but I'll bet that within a 
decade Arxiv will just be an automated harvester of deposits from 
authors' own institutional repositories, not a locus of direct, 
institution-external deposit. In the age of Institutional 
Repositories, it is no longer necessary -- nor does it make sense 
-- for authors to self-archive institution-externally. It is also 
a needless central expense to manage deposit centrally. It makes 
much more sense to deposit institutionally and harvest centrally.

> My understanding is that arXiv is funded by a combination of 
> support from Cornell, a large government grant, and 
> contributions from other research universities.  If this 
> funding were to disappear (I heard it was threatened a year or 
> two ago), would arXiv be resurrected by the community?

Once all universities have IRs and IR self-archiving mandates, 
there will be no need to fund repositories for 
institution-external deposit. Harvesting is cheap. And each 
university's IR will be a standard part of its online 
infrastructure.

[SNIP]