Cross-posted
EPrints version 3.0 beta release puts repository managers and users in control
The first beta release of EPrints version 3.0 gives more control and
flexibility to repository managers, technical administrators and
depositors. EPrints is the most widely used professional software platform
for institutional open access repositories, and this new release will widen
its appeal especially to institutions looking for a powerful,
cost-effective repository capable of supporting a diverse range of users
and digital objects.
Version 3 represents a major leap forward in functionality, offering more
efficient, time-saving features for the most common repository processes.
An innovative new plugin architecture enables both non-technical and
technical administrators to create new, shareable mini-applications that
will run with EPrints to manage increasing information flows in and out of
repositories.
EPrints is free open source software. Following the successful launch of
EPrints Services last year, EPrints is now the best supported platform
offering solutions for all repository needs, from free to fee-based,
directly supported by the expert team that develops the software at
Southampton University
http://www.eprints.org/services/
As the first free generic software (
http://www.eprints.org/software/),
designed in 2000 to allow any organisation, university, department, group
or project to build OAI-compliant repositories, EPrints is established as
the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to set up an IR that can grow to
accommodate future needs for repositories of open access research
literature, scientific data, theses, reports and multimedia
http://www.eprints.org/news/features/worlds_best_practice.php
Our award-winning (
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/news/737) lead developer
Christopher Gutteridge recommends that anybody planning a new repository
should seriously consider basing it on EPrints v3: "EPrints v2 was good,
but v3 is something special."
The beta release of EPrints v3 is available for download at
http://files.eprints.org/118/
Among the new features displayed by this major new version are:
* Efficient new user interface to streamline deposits and editorial workflow
* Flexible customisation of deposit workflow based on users and deposit
metadata
* Auto-completion of names for authors, journals, and other metadata types
* Support for third party plugins makes it easier for users to add and
share new import, export and user interface functions without modifying the
core code
* Improved XML import/export format
* More efficient full-text indexing
* Export searches as RSS feeds, BibTeX, EndNote, XML, etc.
* Full eprint audit history to support preservation applications
* Improved support for set-up, with a tool to walk installers through much
more of the process
* Test-data importer to create 100 demonstration records
A beta release typically marks the first stable and usable version of new
software. It is recommended that new users install this version. Further
beta and 'release candidate' versions will appear in December, to add
further improvements and fix minor bugs based on user feedback. Users can
easily and safely upgrade to successive versions during this phase.
Existing users should initially install EPrints v3 alongside v2 and convert
their configurations when a v2->v3 script becomes available as part of a
later v3 release.
EPrints v3.0 will be officially released at the EPrints User Group meeting
at the international Open Repositories 2007 conference in San Antonio, TX,
on January 24, 2007
http://www.openrepositories.org/call/eprints
Steve Hitchcock
EPrints Community Manager
IAM Group, School of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
Email: sh94r_at_ecs.soton.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 3256 Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 2865
Join the EPrints Community to make the most of your repository
http://www.eprints.org/community/
EPrints Insiders, the EPrints Community blog
http://www.eprints.org/community/blog/
EPrints Community is supported by JISC and is an EPrints Services
initiative
http://www.eprints.org/services/sales/
Received on Mon Nov 06 2006 - 21:07:03 GMT