Digital Libraries should enable access to knowledge in multi-modal format to any citizen, anywhere, anytime, breaking down the barriers of distance, language and culture. Building and maintaining scientific e-Infrastructures, preserving cultural heritage, and supporting educational processes are just some examples of the value-add of Digital Libraries, which are by definition complex systems, intrinsically interdisciplinary and heterogeneous. Interoperability is a key-step to ensuring that digital libraries continue to grow in a way that allows users to navigate through different sources within an integrated single environment. It is also a multi-layered, context-specific concept which can be analyzed from organizational, semantic, and technical levels. The role of repositories and Open Access has been crucial to broaden the function of Digital Libraries within the research community. Open Access Repositories (OARs) have also enhanced the reputation of institutions by making their research more visible and bringing greater return on investment for funding agencies.

The Workshop shone the spotlight on existing frameworks and best practices key to achieving open, interoperable information systems by triggering a multi-disciplinary debate. Discussions proposed common strategies for interoperability and how to implement mechanisms for exchanging, sharing and integrating results between Digital Libraries and Open Access Repository communities.

The article by Stephanie Parker, Trust-IT Services and Giuseppina Vullo, University of Glasgow, can be viewed here. ERCIM News 85 will also be distributed at the forthcoming Future Emerging Technologies (FET) conference in May 2011.

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