Make your agricultural information widely accessible: learn the essentials of open digital repositories

Facilitating open access to public domain scientific and technical information is fundamental for agricultural research and innovation. Open digital repositories and libraries offer unprecedented possibilities for organizations and individuals to capture and share agricultural research outputs in a structured way, to foster transparency and improve communication between researchers and other stakeholder groups.

The newest Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) e-learning module entitled Digital Libraries, Repositories and Documents, offers learners the essentials for creating and managing their own digital libraries and repositories. It covers all the relevant processes for planning and resourcing, and considers the latest technologies and trends for digital data management and preservation. Relevant issues concerning the legal framework for copyright and intellectual property rights are also covered.

The module is offered online and on CD-ROM free of charge, and is currently available in English only. The Spanish version will be published in June 2011 and the French at a later date. For more information please visit the IMARK website: www.imarkgroup.org This module was developed by FAO, with support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), in the context of better "Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development" (CIARD) (www.ciard.net), which is a unique global partnership in support of research communication in agriculture.