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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">(Some of you may have already had this news cross your inboxes or social media feeds this morning, but we wanted to also share this news about our organizational home LYRASIS and its “intent to merge” with DuraSpace
with ArchivesSpace members directly.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#19388A">PRESS RELEASE </span></strong><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#19388A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Contact:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#19388A"> </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#19388A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Carol Minton Morris</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<span style="background:white">Director of Marketing and Communications, DuraSpace</span><br>
<span style="background:white">607.592.3135</span><br>
</span><a href="mailto:cmmoris@duraspace.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">cmmoris@duraspace.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Meg Blum</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, LYRASIS</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">720.215.2179</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="mailto:meg.blum@lyrasis.org?subject=LYRASIS%20Press%20Release%20Inquiry" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">meg.blum@lyrasis.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#19388A">LYRASIS and DuraSpace Boards Approve "Intent to Merge" and Seek Member Input</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">January 27, 2016, Atlanta, GA - The Boards of LYRASIS and DuraSpace, two leading member-based non-profit organizations serving libraries, archives, museums, as well as the broader
scholarly, cultural heritage and technology communities, have unanimously approved an "Intent to Merge". LYRASIS, which serves more than 4000 members and partner organizations by delivering e-resources, strategic licensing, training and digital technology
resources, and DuraSpace, a leader in the development and deployment of open source technologies and services that promote durable access and discovery of digital data, will begin next steps to determine the feasibility of a combined organization. These next
steps will include a deeper assessment of the individual organizations and how they might partner effectively, seeking community feedback on the proposal during a public phase of the due diligence investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The respective Boards unanimously approved an "Intent to Merge", which means the organizations, having done a careful initial investigation, will move into a public phase to consider
an official plan and pathway for the potential coming together, including a full analysis of member benefits. The decision to eventually come together is not yet final. In this public phase of investigation, each organization seeks feedback from their members
and will investigate carefully the value of all services, projects, membership models and organizational cultures to ensure a smooth transition for members of both organizations should a merger agreement occur. The missions of both organizations are deeply
rooted in the needs of the research, library, archives and museum communities and a shared mission must serve a combined organization membership equally well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The proposed new organization would continue to serve the LYRASIS and DuraSpace communities by sustaining and growing their combined open source platforms (</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbL3S6bFqYzxmb-RJuMttgNXyj867X7LZBI=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Fedora</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbKbBcEnvrxLW3kocrD4x9fa9liNenzwFmk=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">DSpace</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbK_Vsu4eDReqetFfjBDQszWXYxqOWkETdI=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">VIVO</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbKhr86ZjRifcMN4BRMxIrti6hSRg-yXSh4=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">ArchivesSpace</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbJbkrdfFf07aBL0grtlK4tgT0S82Whjkhjsuks5HwX2lg==" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">CollectionSpace</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">)
and hosted services (ArchivesSpace, CollectionSpace, </span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbIexhEA_Hq62g-PJtLDx-N04wtDeIzoE5g=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Islandora</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbKGCawArFysQTlmdvVZBSWjmH2p7k5_PSw=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">DuraCloud</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbJ0wSE4qPpLBthdK7TE4nWk5iTN2ISUaF8=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">DSpaceDirect</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">,
</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbKhr86ZjRifcF7GEkunBsoFFQSF6wZ8gAU=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">ArchivesDirect</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">).
If finalized, the combined organization would expand its portfolio by offering new technologies and services that further their existing work in the management and preservation of digital scholarship. The new organization would focus on supporting current
communities with no reduction in the delivery of services offered by LYRASIS and DuraSpace, while engaging a larger and more diverse group of stakeholders. LYRASIS would continue to support and advance all established commitments, programs and services including
strategic licensing of e-resources, products and services, which will continue without interruption.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The planned, new organization would be led by an executive team consisting of Robert Miller (Chief Executive Officer) and Debra Hanken Kurtz (Chief Operating Officer). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The organizations are now seeking the input of members and the wider research, library, archives and museum communities. More detailed information is expected to be released in the
coming weeks and months. Members of either organization are welcome to send comments, suggestions and questions to
</span><a href="mailto:synergy@duraspace.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">synergy@duraspace.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">"Combining the teams and technologies of LYRASIS and DuraSpace will allow us to deliver better and more cost effective end-to-end digital solutions and services to the communities
we serve," explained Robert Miller, CEO of LYRASIS.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Debra Hanken Kurtz, CEO of DuraSpace, said, "By joining with LYRASIS, DuraSpace will be able to bring our services to a wider membership audience. We will also expand and support
our services, and continue our commitment to steward the development of community-supported software. Our members and the archives, libraries and museums communities will all benefit."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">"The new organization has the potential to transform the larger landscape of libraries, archives and museums by providing multiple pathways for them to connect, collaborate and participate
at a local, national and international level. If this merger is finalized, LYRASIS will be able to offer value to members that goes far beyond fairly priced e-resources. The merger will create a robust offering of technical solutions, enriched training and
the creation of a unified platform that can meet its members' diverse needs," says Kathlin Ray, Dean of Libraries and Teaching & Learning Technologies at the University of Nevada, Reno and Chair of the LYRASIS Board of Trustees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Paul Courant, former Provost and former Dean of Libraries at the University of Michigan, who is Chair of the DuraSpace Board, added that the combined organizations "have the opportunity
to provide a full suite of services that will serve as a foundational platform for digital scholarship to manage research and cultural heritage materials for a broad range of institutions. We have the opportunity to become the home for community source software,
providing cost effective solutions for research institutions, libraries, museums, archives and cultural heritage organizations to ensure that their collections are preserved and accessible for future generations."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Key Points regarding the LYRASIS and DuraSpace "Intent to Merge"</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The DuraSpace and LYRASIS Boards have voted and approved an intent to merge.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Coming together would unite each organization's open-source technology programs under one roof, along with Licensing and Partnerships, training and
other membership services.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The organizations have not yet come together, and are moving into a more public phase of investigation at this time.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The DuraSpace and LYRASIS Boards have conducted initial due diligence, and more will follow in the coming months to determine final feasibility of
a coming together.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">DuraSpace is home to community supported software (CSS) programs DSpace, Fedora and VIVO and hosted services ArchivesDirect, DSpaceDirect and DuraCloud.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">LYRASIS is the organizational home for CSS services ArchivesSpace and CollectionSpace, and offers hosted services for ArchivesSpace, CollectionSpace
and Islandora.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Bringing the organizations together would mean five CSS programs and six hosted services under one roof, with no changes to the delivery of other
services currently offered by each organization.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Next steps will be determined by the respective Boards and we will share any new information as it arises.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No services currently offered by either organization will be interrupted by a potential merger.<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Robert Miller would be CEO of the proposed joined organization, and Debra Hanken Kurtz, currently CEO of DuraSpace, would become the COO of the new
organization.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Key Benefits of a Combined LYRASIS and DuraSpace Organization</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Operating as a single entity, LYRASIS and DuraSpace can pool their resources and provide expertise to a broad array of problems the community is tackling.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Together they have strong technical expertise to solve problems, robust processes and systems in place to deliver customer and community solutions, and a full suite of services that could serve as the foundational
platform for digital scholarship for a broad range of institutions managing scientific and cultural heritage materials.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">LYRASIS and DuraSpace represent strong adjacencies for each other's core missions, communities of service and suite of products/services.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Coming together would represent an opportunity to deliver end-to-end services for core members.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">A combined LYRASIS and DuraSpace organization would pursue a broad mission, including the continued development of open technologies and services.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;margin-bottom:12.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The organization would also reach out to new communities that manage, preserve, and provide access to digital content.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The new unified organization could provide significant economies of scale, synergies in developing open technologies and services, and a strong position
for long-term sustainability.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="display:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">About LYRASIS</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">LYRASIS (</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbJnMp6JzkVHjiwa5s6kSx6LahA8Np5HBcc=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">www.lyrasis.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">),
a non-profit membership organization, partners with member libraries, archives and museums to create, access and manage information with an emphasis on digital content, while building and sustaining collaboration, enhancing operations and technology, and increasing
buying power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="display:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">About DuraSpace</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The DuraSpace (</span><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XXNJeGzYolfJLSMuqTDae8ASMklgOkGDuIXaSWQLTCEjjIi_qFR9D2VDFWwRohRAMPh1rB1iHbKeSg9R9TKOHk8BfG4xW-MZ4_QnyKQzXVw=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">http://duraspace.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">)
organization is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit providing leadership and innovation for open technologies that promote durable, persistent access and discovery of digital data. More than 1800 institutions use and help develop DSpace, Fedora and VIVO
open source software in partnership with DuraSpace. Our values are expressed in our organizational byline, "Committed to our digital future."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="display:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">To Submit Feedback:</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">We need your input! For more information or to share your thoughts on the proposed merger, please contact
</span><a href="mailto:synergy@duraspace.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">synergy@duraspace.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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