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[Steven Bird]

Dear implementers of the OLAC Repositories standard,

At our last workshop in December 2002, we replaced the old OLAC
protocol document with a new proposed standard called "OLAC
Repositories" which defines the standards OLAC archives must follow in
implementing a metadata repository.  Since that time, Gary and I have
made minor revisions to the document concerning identifiers,
granularity, the static repository format, and the validation service.

The following organizations have now implemented an OLAC-compliant
repository:

CLAL        clal.cornell.edu              static
Ethnologue  ethnologue.com                full
LACITO      lacito.archivage.vjf.cnrs.fr  full
PARADISEC   paradisec.org.au              static
Perseus     perseus.tufts.edu             full
TRACTOR     tractor.de                    static
LDC         ldc.upenn.edu                 static

The remaining registered OLAC repositories are still in their
temporary location on the OLAC site [1], waiting to be hosted on the
websites of their sponsoring institutions, updated as needed, and
re-registered [2].

According to the OLAC Process, we are now issuing a call for review
``in which the community members who have actually put the document to
use are invited to describe their experience and comment on whether it
is ready to advance to adoption, potentially with changes they might
recommend.''

Would you please read the OLAC Repositories document once more and
direct feedback either to us or directly to this list?  Is it ready
for adoption as an OLAC Standard, i.e. as a set of specifications that
archives must follow when implementing an OLAC-compliant repository?
Please respond by Friday 5 September at the latest.

After this deadline, the newly formed OLAC Council [3] will review all
the feedback and determine any final wording changes.  If there is a
consensus that the document is ready, the Council will approve it for
adoption as an OLAC Standard.

The document can be found at:
  http://www.language-archives.org/OLAC/repositories.html

Thanks,

Steven & Gary

[1] http://www.language-archives.org/devel/sr/
[2] http://www.language-archives.org/register/archive.html
[3] http://www.language-archives.org/news.html#council