The call for proposals for the next International Conference on Open Repositories (OR2027) has been released, and CNI is pleased to once again serve as a cooperating organization.

Please see below for the official call for proposals. You can visit the website at: https://or2027.openrepositories.org/

-Paige, CNI Communications Manager

A reminder that submissions close January 17, 2027.

The 22nd International Conference on Open Repositories (OR2027) will take place June 6-10th 2027 in Salvador, Brazil. 

The theme for the OR2027 conference is: Who Owns Knowledge: Issues of Sovereignty, Ownership, and Social Impact for Repositories.

We live in a divided world; conflict is widespread and political divisions are deep. What does this mean for our open and inclusive communities which span cultures and geographic boundaries? Where do repositories fit within the current geopolitical climate?

We are particularly keen on proposals aligned to the overall theme, but will also consider other administrative, organisational, or technical topics related to open repositories. We are interested in the following sub-themes:

• Sovereignty: What threats or benefits to open repositories arise from competing national and local interests? How can repositories play a greater role in discussions of cultural and digital heritage while supporting different types of sovereignty? 

• Community Ownership: How do we own our software, data and connections with each other in a world divided by political ideologies? How do we guard against power imbalances with commercial interests and the influence of the external funding landscape?

• Resilience: How do we ensure our services stay up, open, available and able to recover from situations that can destroy critical information, both technically and politically? What can we do to collaborate across institutions and borders to build robust networks?

• Attribution, Credit, Relevance: As the way information is presented and consumed is changing rapidly, what roles do repositories play in ensuring sources aren't obscured or lost? How do repositories show the value of their content, their researchers, and themselves? 

• Social Impact: How do open repositories directly impact the community? How can they disrupt or drive change? What evidence, indicators, and qualitative approaches can help repositories understand, communicate, and improve their social impact?

Submission categories include posters, workshops, lightning talks, papers, and panels. We look forward to the vibrant conversations and learning opportunities of the conference.

Please visit the Call for Proposals page to learn more about the submission categories including a full list of submission templates that can be downloaded, dissemination information for accepted proposals, and key dates. Note that all submissions must be made in ConfTool, our conference management tool. 

ConfTool will be open for submissions from October 31, 2026. The deadline for submissions is January 17, 2027.

Please note: This is a firm deadline for submissions and there will not be an extension.

Submitters should note that presentations are in person and there is no remote/pre-recorded presentation option. 

Please note that presenters are required to register for the conference. Registration fee information will be posted on the Registration page in early 2027, and we expect to open registration in February 2027. A scholarship program is also available to support conference costs for a limited number of attendees. This is a competitive process, and scholarship applications will be accepted in due course (application dates and more information to be announced soon).

Program Co-Chairs:

Andre Appel, IBICT

Will Fyson, CoSector

Erin Jerome, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Richard Jones, Cottage Labs

Contact: or2027-program-chairs@googlegroups.com

For the Open Repositories Steering Committee:
Liz Krznarich and Ilkay Holt

Website: https://or2027.openrepositories.org/