Report on the EuDML external cooperation model
aa r X i v : . [ c s . D L ] J u l Report on the EuDML external cooperation model
Thierry Bouche & Jiˇrí Rákosník Cellule Mathdoc (UMS 5638), Université Joseph-Fourier(Grenoble 1), B.P. 74, 38402 Saint-Martin d’Hères, France [email protected] Institute of Mathematics AS CR, Žitná 25,115 67 Praha 1, Czech Republic [email protected]
Abstract.
One of the main tasks of the European Digital Mathematics Libraryproject was to define a cooperation model with a variety of stakeholders thatwould allow building a reliable and durable global reference library, aiming tobe eventually exhaustive. In this paper we present the EuDML external cooper-ation model and the business plan as the basis for its sustainability and furtherdevelopment.
The European Digital Library (EuDML) [2,7,5,3] was a project partly funded by theEuropean Commission in the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme,Information and Communication Technology Policy Support Programme, in the periodfrom 1 February 2010 to 31 January 2013. The EuDML project was explicitly envi-sioned as a pilot project addressing two challenges that prevented previous attemptstowards a global digital mathematics library based on a top-down approach to succeed:1. Setting up the technical infrastructure to create a unified access point for the digitalmathematical content hosted by a number of different organizations across variouscountries;2. Defining a cooperation model with a variety of stakeholders that would allow build-ing a reliable global reference library meant to run over the long term, and to beeventually exhaustive.During the three years of the project, these two goals have been pursued in parallelwith stubbornness. On both sides the project reached clear successes and modified thestate-of-the-art. The basic infrastructure is up and running, with a critical mass in con-tent. A number of possible partners have declared interest in the initiative. However alot remains to be done in order to secure these results and set the basis of a strong andinclusive infrastructure.A general overview of the project and its outcome is described in [6]. There is someslight overlap between both papers, in order to keep each of them self-contained, In thispaper we report on the second goal mentioned above. In the first section we describe thesituation that evolved from the project. The second section is devoted to the EuDMLsustainability plan.
T. Bouche, J. Rákosník
The EuDML has been built by the motley consortium of 16 partners from 8 Euro-pean countries, which comprised a variety of stakeholders and expertise: universities(Instituto Superior Técnico Lisbon, Université Joseph-Fourier Grenoble, University ofBirmingham, Universytet Warszawski, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Io-nian University Corfu, Masaryk University Brno), research institutes (Institute of Math-ematics and Informatics BAS Sofia, Institute of Mathematics AS CR Praha, CNRSGrenoble), an international scientific service institution (FIZ Karlsruhe), a national re-search council (Consejo superior de investigaciones científicas Madrid), a commercialpublisher (Édition Diffusion Presse Sciences Paris) and a private digital media agency(Made Media Ltd Birmingham), a large library (Niedersächsische Staats- und Univer-sitätsbibliothek Göttingen) and, last but not least an international learned society (Eu-ropean Mathematical Society). The latter two had the status of associated partners towhich another one came in the early stage of the project: Biblioteca Digitale Italianadi Matematica (bdim). They included digital content providers, technical developers,library, a scientific database and representatives of research communities.EuDML as the outcome of the project aims to be a long-standing, reliable and opensource of trusted mathematical knowledge. This implies EuDML policies, that mostlyboil down to the following:1.
The texts in EuDML must have been scientifically validated and formally published. EuDML items must be open access after a finite embargo period. Once documentscontributed to the library are made open access due to this policy, they cannotrevert to close access later on. The digital full text of each item contributed to EuDML must be archived physicallyat one of the EuDML member institutions.
These rules ensure that the EuDML as reference library system is on a sound base,with ingested content available for perpetuity and openly accessible eventually. For thispurpose the project set up a complex of frameworks, technology, workflows, validationprocedures, schemas etc. The EuDML was built as a distributed system with tasks dis-tributed among partners each of whom assumes full responsibility for the correspondingsegment.This worked well during the project when the partners formed a formal consortiumtied together by a formal contract setting responsibilities with respect to the EuropeanCommission. The contract finished together with the project and will be replaced witha suitable arrangement which we describe in Section 3.The EuDML is not limited to the current digital content and the technology builtabove it. There is also important potential of further cooperation and extendibility.On the technical front, the EuDML got expression of interest, but rather in the formof attracting new partners in some follow-up to the current project. On the politicalfront, the EuDML got quite some awareness and support from mathematical societieson various occasions (The International Mathematical Union at the WDML symposiumin Washington D.C., June 2012 [4], the European Mathematical Society and some na-tional mathematical societies at the EuDML workshop in Prague, 2010). On the content he EuDML network 3 front, there has been a large number of discussions with potential further partners (eLi-brary of the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts inBelgrade, digitized proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematics and Eu-ropean Congress of Mathematics, project Euclid in the Cornell University and SteklovMathematical Institute/Russian Academy of Sciences’ project Math-Net.Ru).An important decision that has been taken after the 6ECM round table [1] is thatthe EMS Publishing House will contribute the
Journal of the EMS after a 5 years mov-ing wall. Work to achieve this has started, partly handled by our partner Institute ofMathematics AS CR in Prague acting here as a sponsor for EMS-ph.A contact has been also made with JSTOR in the hope to acquire their public domaincontent and make it visible in EuDML.The effort of the EuDML consortium does not end with creating a functional pro-totype of the Digital Mathematics Library and providing its content and services to thepublic. The true success of the project depends very much on sustainability and fur-ther development of the EuDML. The principal aims of sustainable EuDML servicescomprise – working toward comprehensiveness, service integration, and cost efficiency of theEuDML services, – assisting in exploiting the benefits of networking for integration of digital libraryservices such as sharing and enhancing data, – advancing cooperation between information and service providers, – creating and maintaining a non-profit service in the interests of the mathematicsuser community.In order to create such sustainable service from the EuDML project, important is-sues have been assessed, namely – an organizational and legal framework, which will take its roots in the EuDMLconsortium and further partners associated during its lifetime, – balancing costs and potential sources of revenue of running the EuDML services, – a common framework for dealing with intellectual properties rights and copyrightissues. Eleven partners of the consortium declared their will to continue in efforts to main-tain and develop the EuDML after project’s end, representing the general mathematicalcommunity and the core content and technology providers:1. European Mathematical Society2. Fachinformationszentrum Karlsruhe, Zentralblatt MATH3. Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, Univer-sity of Warsaw
T. Bouche, J. Rákosník
4. Cellule Mathdoc, Centre national de la recherche scientifique & Université Joseph-Fourier, Grenoble5. University of Birmingham6. Institute of Mathematics and Informatics BAS, Sofia7. Institute of Mathematics AS CR, Praha8. Masaryk University, Brno9. Ionian University, Corfu10. Società Italiana per la Matematica Applicata e Industriale, Unione Matematica Ital-iana11. Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek GöttingenThey will form an association named EuDML Initiative where the first three of themwill assume particular rôles. The European Mathematical Society will provide an um-brella using its institutional authority to secure association’s internal functioning andits external representation with respect to partners, other institutions and public and, inparticular, to ensure that the EuDML services shall remain under control of organiza-tions representing the public interest. For the first period of at least three years, partnersno. 2 and 3 will provide human resources and machine capacities for hosting, systemand service maintenance, and basic technical operations. Partner no. 4 will contributemanpower to continue enhancing the metadata quality, ingestion procedure, and willhelp new content providers to contribute their collections. Partner no. 7 will take carefor annotations moderation and dissemination activities.The EuDML Initiative will be established as an association without legal personal-ity. The status of an association without legal personality and financial budget will beperfectly functional at least for the first period, during which the possibility/necessityof transforming the EuDML Initiative to another model involving legal personality andfinancial issues will be investigated.The purpose of the EuDML Initiative is to provide a Digital Mathematics Library(DML) for the worldwide scientific community as a public service which will help userslocate the information that is distributed in various digital repositories and discoverinformation related to their work in an efficient way, and encourage the public in usingit as a public resource of knowledge which will become exhaustive and comprehensivein the field of mathematics.The basis for such DML is provided by the EuDML. The EuDML Initiative will – encourage content providers to join and integrate their content to the EuDML, – adapt to using new information technologies and invite subjects interested in con-tributing to research and development for the continuous evolution of EuDML tojoin, – search for projects of research and development aiming at improving its servicesto the user community and will encourage its members to get involved in suchprojects.Membership in the EuDML Initiative will be open to any legally and contractu-ally competent natural or legal person willing to support the objectives of the EuDMLInitiative by providing he EuDML network 5 – digital content, i.e. integrating (at least partially) their digital collections of high-quality mathematical publications in the EuDML according to the EuDML guide-lines and standards, which are based on internationally accepted standards andtrends, adapted to the special needs of mathematical publications, and maintain-ing and expanding access to these publications through the EuDML service, – technological equipment and services for maintaining the EuDML central servicesand/or developing other technical services and tools to be used in the EuDML, – scientific, financial, strategic or political support to the EuDML Initiative and itsactivities.Members will have the duty to take part in the activities necessary for the satisfac-tion of the objectives of the EuDML Initiative and to comply with the decisions of thebodies of the EuDML Initiative, with the statute and the applicable legislation. Mem-bers of the EuDML Initiative are not obliged to make any financial contributions. Eachmember cares for his own costs.The governance and operation of the association will be organized in the followingbodies: the General Assembly, the Chair of the EuDML Initiative, the Executive Board,the Scientific Advisory Board and the Technical Committee; in conducting legal orother affairs the Initiative shall be represented by the Chair of the Initiative.The General Assembly as the supreme decision-making body will be formed by onerepresentative of each member. The tasks assigned to the General Assembly includedecision on applications for membership, decision on expulsion of a member, electionand dismissal of the Chair of the EuDML Initiative, the members of the Executive Boardand of the Technical Committee from persons suggested by members of the EuDMLInitiative, issuing instructions to the Executive Board, decision on modification of thestatutes and the dissolution of the EuDML Initiative.The Executive Board will be composed of the Chair of the EuDML Initiative, theChair of the Technical Committee and three other persons representing members of theEuDML Initiative. The European Mathematical Society’s eminent rôle and responsibil-ity in the EuDML Initiative will be accomplished by the fact that one member of theExecutive Board will be directly nominated by the EMS Executive Committee. The Ex-ecutive Board shall have general charge of all matters concerning the EuDML Initiativeexcept for those assigned to the General Assembly, in particular, management of the cur-rent affairs including copyright and ownership management, execution of the decisionsof the General Assembly, appointment of the subordinate committees entrusted with thespecial tasks within general framework of the association. The Executive Board will beadvised by the Scientific Advisory Board and supported by the Technical Committee.The Scientific Advisory Board will be appointed by the European MathematicalSociety of their representatives and other suitably qualified and recognized persons. It’sresponsibility will be ensuring the scientific quality of the DML service, and advisingthe Executive Board on scientific matters, strategic orientations and priorities for devel-opment of the service, taking part in the evaluation, and bringing in the feedback of themathematical community. The Scientific Advisory Board works out recommendationsfor the development of EuDML with regard to the content and the organization of theEuDML Initiative. T. Bouche, J. Rákosník
The Technical Committee will ensure the continuous technical operations of Eu-DML services being responsible for the technical development, technical standards andworkflows, and the technical operations of the system. The Chair of the Technical Com-mittee will be automatically member of the Executive Board, assuring cooperation ofboth bodies.
It is estimated that basic operation and maintenance of the EuDML system will requireapproximately 1.5 FTE and k e
100 yearly. This will be covered by in kind payments ofthe five partners indicated in Subsection 3.1. Each EuDML Initiative member will coverhis local expenses which concerns, in particular, the content providers responsible forkeeping and developing their repositories. It is assumed that all bodies of the associationwill meet via telecommunication if appropriate. Videoconferencing has proved a veryefficient management tool during the EuDML project and will reduce the running costs.The minimal level of resources corresponding to the costs indicated above will besufficient for the maintenance and slow development of the EuDML. However, higherrevenues are desirable for a more dynamic advancement. Possible resources to coverthese costs may include income from R&D grant funding generated by the associationor by its individual partners, special fees collected from the EMS member organizations,donations, financial contributions from content providers and partners of the EuDMLInitiative and in kind contributions by partners.Despite its universal usage in science, technology, education, social matters etc.mathematics has rare possibilities to generate incomes directly. All the more the Eu-DML as a not-for-profit establishment providing public service will have to strugglefor regular resources using the potential of all partners involved and of the scientificcommunity represented particularly by the European Mathematical Society and othermathematical societies and organizations.
It is very important that the potential external partners understand who the EuDMLInitiative is and what is to be expected of a possible cooperation. Hence, the followingprinciples should be adopted and published.The content providers retain all rights pertaining to their collections. They grant tothe EuDML Initiative the right to keep and use copies of their provided data for thepurposes of search and retrieval display in EuDML public services.Each content provider may decide, whether full text will be provided to the EuDMLInitiative and to which extent the full text might be used or distributed. Agreementsbetween the EuDML Initiative and the content providers specify these and further usageand exploitation rights for each collection contributed to the EuDML.The indexing and other metadata information generated by the central services ofEuDML (“EuDML-enhanced metadata”) is owned by the EuDML Initiative. Contentproviders are entitled to use and exploit copies of EuDML-enhanced metadata of thoseitems for which they have provided metadata. he EuDML network 7
Copies of metadata provided by content providers and the EuDML-enhanced meta-data shall be kept at the sites maintained by service providers. If a service providerwithdraws from this rôle, the data and respective rights and obligations stay with theremaining service providers. Members of the EuDML Initiative active in the researchdomain of Digital (Mathematics) Libraries are entitled to use (copies of) the EuDML-enhanced metadata for their research purposes. However, usage of a particular subset ofthe metadata for this purpose may be restricted by the respective information provider.Results of such research activities will be made available to the EuDML Initiative andits members. Exploitation rights for software and tools developed by the EuDML Initia-tive stay with the originator. However, the EuDML Initiative advocates an open-sourcepolicy for software, and encourages developers to put their developments for DML inthe public domain. In case of dissolution of the EuDML Initiative, all (meta)data andrelated rights are to be transferred to the European Mathematical Society.
The EuDML project has successfully developed a cooperation model with a variety ofstakeholders has been defined for building a reliable and durable global reference libraryand a number of possible partners have declared interest in the EuDML Initiative.The EuDML policy was developed stating three main principles: (i) the digital con-tent must be scientifically validated, (ii) eventual open access, (iii) physical archivingof the content at one of the EuDML member institutions.Contacts were made with several possible external partners to ingest their digitalcontent in EuDML. In some of these cases, the technical work has already started.Based on the above policies, a model of sustainable EuDML operation has beendrawn on the basis of an association without legal personality formed by EuDML coremembers being scientifically and organizationally strong not-for-profit institutions thattake care of the system’s activity, maintenance, and of the collections both in terms ofpreservation and eventual open access provision. Three partners, EMS, FIZ/ZentralblattMATH and ICM will assume particular rôles providing an umbrella securing asso-ciation’s internal functioning and its external representation, ensuring that the DMLservices shall remain under control of organizations representing the public interest,and providing human resources and machine capacities for hosting, system and servicemaintenance, and basic technical operations during the first mid-term period after theproject end. The possibility/necessity of transforming the EuDML Initiative to anothermodel involving legal personality and financial issues will be investigated during thisperiod.The EuDML Initiative will be an open, democratic association with well definedstructure, distributed rôles and responsibilities which will allow the long-term sustain-ability, form the solid basis for partnership with external entities and provide conditionfor further development.
References
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