The Open Repositories Steering Committee (ORSC) manages the annual Open Repositories conference. In 2019 we are changing the process for recruitment and elections of new committee members in order to enable more active engagement with the Steering Committee and conference planning. See https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/or11/Membership+Policy for the new policy.

The ORSC consists of a maximum of 12 standing members who serve three-year terms as well as the chairs of the host and program committees for the annual conferences. Members should ideally have participated in previous conferences and have extensive experience with repositories and the international repository community.

ORSC members are expected to take part in a range of activities throughout the year, as well as those specifically related to the conference. Examples of member activities include:

  • Regular attendance at OR if at all possible. We note that for some potential members this can be difficult due to cost, travel, and schedules.
  • Participating in the majority of the monthly committee meetings, including the in-person meeting that takes place at the conference every year
  • Participation in ad hoc or standing committees (e.g. Scholarship, Code of Conduct, proposal writing, Finance, etc.)
  • Serving specific conference roles such as Programme Chair or Poster Chair
  • Reflecting OR news and announcements (e.g. Calls for Papers, Expressions of Interest) via mailing lists and through social media
  • Timely participation in all discussions, in-person and online
  • Reviewing conference proposals and submissions
  • Reviewing conference host bids
  • Adding and reviewing ORSC membership

In 2019 the ORSC has three open slots for standing members, and we are inviting nominations, including self-nominations. The call for nominations opens on June 11 at the OR2019 conference in Hamburg. The nomination deadline will be July 31st. An information session for those interested in the ORSC is on Wednesday, June 12 at the conference. If you are unable to make this session, please reach out to a current standing member to learn more (see  https://www.openrepositories.org/steering-committee/ for a list of members).

The nomination form is now available here: https://forms.gle/7vZX2VR3KSDUuvBg7

When submitting a nomination you will be asked to submit the following information:

  1. Personal information: name, email, institution affiliation, and a brief description of your role.
  2. An indication that you, or your nominee, has attended at least one OR in the previous four years.
  3. Statement of interest, e.g. why the nominee wants to join the Steering Committee.
  4. Statement of qualifications, e.g. what specific experiences the nominee would bring to the Steering Committee.

The OR Steering Committee will elect new members in August. Successful new members will be expected to join the ORSC in September for a three-year period.