<div dir="ltr"><i style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">--sent on behalf of the Open Repositories Conference Steering Committee--</i><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><b><font size="4"><br>
</font></b></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><b><font size="4">Call for Proposals to Host the Annual Open Repositories Conference, 2015</font></b><br><i>Read it online: <a href="http://bit.ly/13AuTJq" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/13AuTJq</a></i></div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">The Open Repositories Steering Committee seeks proposals from candidate host organizations for the 2015 Open Repositories Annual Conference. Proposals from all geographic areas will be given consideration.<br>
<br><b>Important Dates</b><br><br>The Open Repositories Steering Committee is accepting proposals to host the OR2015 conference until September 30, 2013. Initial expressions of interest or questions about OR2015 are encouraged and should be received by August 22, 2013. <br>
<br>Candidate institutions must have the ability to host a four-day conference of approximately 350-500 attendees (OR2012 held in Edinburgh, UK drew approximately 450 attendees). This includes appropriate access to conference facilities, lodging, and transportation, as well as the ability to manage a range of supporting services (food services, internet services, and conference social events; conference web site; management of registration and online payments; etc.). The candidate institutions and their local arrangements committee must have the means to support the costs of producing the conference through attendee registration and independent fundraising. The OR Steering Committee can provide further information on costs and fund-raising associated with recent conferences, or a sample proposal, to sites that have a potential interest in hosting the conference.<br>
<br><b>Proposal Guidelines</b><br><br>Organisations interested in proposing to organize a future OR conference should follow the steps listed below:<br><br>1. The target dates for initial enquiries and proposals specified above should be observed. Please direct enquiries and proposals to OR Steering Committee Chair Carol Minton Morris <<a href="mailto:cmmorris@duraspace.org" target="_blank">cmmorris@duraspace.org</a>>. Preliminary enquiries to review requirements of proposals are welcomed. Decisions on proposals can be expected within approximately 6-8 weeks of the submission deadline.<br>
<br>2. Proposals should include: identification of venue and facilities; proposed management framework (local arrangements committee), a preliminary budget and discussion of financial arrangements; a brief summary of the proposed conference structure. It will be useful to identify the host institution's engagement with the technologies and substantive themes relevant to open repositories. Suggestions for potential conference themes, presentation formats, and so forth are welcomed. However, please note that the conference program will ultimately be determined by a Program Committee (which will include representation from the local host), therefore the focus of proposals should be on the suitability of the site and ability of the host institution to manage a conference that typically includes diverse presentation formats, workshops and collaborative activities.<br>
<br>Proposals should include proposed specific dates for the event, and note the scheduling of any other potentially conflicting meetings within several months before or after the proposed meeting date. Further, written commitments of financial support from sponsoring institutions, if any, should be submitted in the proposal.<br>
<br>3. The OR Steering Committee will review proposals and may seek advice from additional reviewers. If the evaluation is positive, the Steering Committee will tentatively accept the proposal and the proposer will be asked to prepare and submit a detailed budget to the Steering Committee.<br>
<br><b>About Open Repositories</b><br><br>Since 2006 Open Repositories has hosted an annual conference that brings together users and developers of open digital repository platforms. For further information about Open Repositories and links to past conference sites, please visit the OR home page: <a href="http://sites.tdl.org/openrepositories/" target="_blank">http://sites.tdl.org/openrepositories/</a>.<br>
<br>Subscribe to announcements about Open Repositories conferences by joining the OR Google Group:<a href="http://groups.google.com/group/open-repositories" target="_blank">http://groups.google.com/group/open-repositories</a>.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Please feel free to reflect this call for proposals out through your communities.</div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Thank you!</div><div><br></div>-- <br>Carol Minton Morris<br>DuraSpace<br>Director of Marketing and Communications<br>cmmorris@DuraSpace.org<br>Skype: carolmintonmorris<br>
607 592-3135<br><a href="http://twitter.com/duraspace" target="_blank">Twitter@DuraSpace</a><br><a href="http://twitter.com/duracloud" target="_blank">Twitter@DuraCloud</a><br><a href="http://DuraSpace.org" target="_blank">http://DuraSpace.org</a>
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