The Open Repositories Steering Committee in consultation with the OR2020 and OR2021 hosts have made a decision to postpone OR2020 until May 31 – June 3rd 2021.
This was not a decision made lightly – we looked carefully at our options (keeping the current dates, cancelling, or postponing) and decided postponing a full year was the best option for both logistical and financial reasons. We chose Stellenbosch as a host location because we very much wanted to bring Open Repositories to the African continent and to create a space to listen and discuss the current state of repositories across Africa and the world. Postponing the conference a year allows us to meet that goal and, hopefully, a resolution of the current COVID19 pandemic.
If you have registered for the conference already or are a sponsor, the hosts at Stellenbosch will be contacting you with options. If you have submitted a proposal, the program committee will be in touch shortly with options. We are exploring the possibility of a virtual conference in order to allow some accepted proposals that are time sensitive to be presented. More information soon!
I also want to announce that our OR2022 location will be Denver, CO. The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries in collaboration with six of its member institutions (University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, University of Denver Libraries, Colorado State University Libraries, Colorado School of Mines Library, University of Colorado Anschutz Library, and the University of Wyoming Libraries) were selected by the Steering Committee to host OR2021, but have graciously offered to move the dates to OR2022. We very much appreciate their willingness and flexibility to shift a full year in conference planning.
Again, if you have registered, sponsored, have been awarded a fellowship, or have a proposal in, you will be hearing from us shortly.
Sarah and Claire
Sarah L. Shreeves (Chair, Open Repositories Steering Committee)
Claire Knowles (Vice Chair, Open Repositories Steering Committee)