Austin, TX The 2017 DuraSpace Membership Campaign gets underway this week. The campaign raises funds to support the continued advancement of DSpace, Fedora and VIVO open source software projects. DuraSpace proudly provides these applications for free for anyone to use.
Our projects rely on membership fees to balance paying for staff who provide technical leadership, direct strategic planning, organize community outreach, and coordinate timely software releases for the open source projects with participation in strategic initiatives such as the Digital Preservation Network (DPN) on behalf of our members. As a result of your financial commitment DuraSpace and the communities it serves are alive with ideas and innovative ways to meet the needs of the ever-expanding scholarly ecosystem that connects us all.
We are grateful for our community’s financial support, and for their engagement in the enterprise we share as we work together to provide enduring access to the world’s digital heritage. See the 2016-2017 Strategic Summary (add link) for more information.
Support the projects you depend on and have a voice
As a DuraSpace member you have the option of directing your funds to support one or more of our open source projects; Fedora, DSpace or VIVO, or to a general DuraSpace fund that is distributed based on where funding is needed most. Membership at any level gives you access to key information on the development of the project. Higher levels of membership give you the opportunity to play a more active role in the direction and development of the project software and in project governance. To learn more about DuraSpace membership, including a list of benefits by level visit https://duraspace.org/about_membership.
Next steps
We are asking all institutions that use DSpace, Fedora and/or VIVO to become members of DuraSpace this year so we can continue to meet the emerging needs of those user communities. For those of you from institutions which are not yet members, you and your institution’s leadership will receive a personal email from Debra Hanken Kurtz, DuraSpace CEO, inviting you to become a member. For those of you from institutions which are already members, your institution will be sent renewal invoices when your current membership is up. If you’d like to get started with a new membership or a renewal today, simply complete the on-line membership form: https://duraspace.org/become_a_member. For any questions or more information, please contact Valorie Hollister <vhollister@duraspace.org>.