The U.S. Repository Network is an initiative of SPARC with support from the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR). As part of its Modernizing the Global Repository Network initiative, COAR identified the need for assistance in breaking down institutional silos and developing a more cohesive approach and greater collaboration around repositories in the U.S. Through a Visiting Program Officer, SPARC engaged an expert group of library/repository professionals as well as the broader U.S. repository community to develop a strategic vision for U.S. repositories.
This strategic vision and its complimentary foundational characteristics guide the U.S. Repository Network (USRN) Action Plan as does a Steering Group composed of library leaders and repository managers. The Action Plan will advance the vision and ensure the ongoing engagement and sustainability of the Network.
The U.S. Repository Network (USRN) is envisioned as an inclusive community committed to advancing repositories in the U.S. In this context, “U.S. repositories” refers to all open research repositories based in the U.S. regardless of content, host, or platform. That is, repositories containing articles, data, gray literature, and emerging forms of scholarship; repositories hosted by higher education institutions, research centers, or other nonprofit organizations; and repositories using open source or vended platforms, are considered to be part of this network. All such repositories are welcome to participate in the USRN.
