Contents

Background

There are currently over 1,800 DSpace instances in over 100 different countries with a variety of use cases. While there are many helpful resources available to the community, barriers due to geography and language can make it challenging for new or potential DSpace users to connect with the DSpace community.

Program Goal

The main focus of a DSpace Ambassador Program is to identify a DSpace user in every country or region who is willing to volunteer to be a point of contact for organizations just getting started. These Ambassadors will help new or potential users with general questions about DSpace as well as providing guidance on additional resources available in the larger DSpace community.

Ambassador Activities

DSpace Ambassadors will be identified by country/region on the dspace.org website, they will also be listed in the welcome letter that goes out to new users in the community. New or potential users can contact the Ambassadors with questions. While the Ambassador is not intended to be a technical expert, they should be able to guide individuals in the right direction for more technical questions (DSpace manual, website references, wiki, mailing lists, etc.). Ideally the Ambassador will also help to identify resources, such as new helpful references or new service providers in their country or region. Some Ambassadors may also be involved in planning regional DSpace user group meetings or trainings. Ambassadors can also leverage their efforts along with other networks, associations and groups that may already exist in their region/country. DuraSpace and the DSpace Global Outreach Committee will work closely with the DSpace Ambassadors to ensure they can be successful in their role.

Ambassador Qualifications

The Ambassador role is primarily those serving as a repository manager/administrator at their organization, although anyone with DSpace knowledge and experience is eligible.

Ambassador Tools

The DSpace Ambassador Tool Kit available for Ambassadors that provides useful references. There is also a private DSpace Ambassadors mailing list (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dspace-ambassadors).

Acknowledgments

The success of any open-source project lies with the community voluntarily contributing its collective energy, information, enthusiasm, and effort. Similar to the role of DSpace Code Contributors and Committers, the Ambassador role is a contribution to the DSpace community. Although the role is unpaid, upon request DuraSpace will offer a letter of acknowledgment to Ambassadors recognizing their contribution and expertise as well as and thanking them for their collaboration with other organizations/academic institutions and DuraSpace.

Term

The Ambassador role is one year and can be extended upon mutual agreement. It is anticipated the time commitment will be a few hours a month.

Countries/Regions

If you are interested in volunteering to serve as an Ambassador for the countries/regions below, please send an email to info@dspace.org.

Country/RegionAmbassadorEmailInstitution
AlbaniaErjon Sulaj<erjon.sulaj@artacademy.al>University of Arts in Tirana
Australia/New Zealand   
BangladeshMohibuzzaman Zico<mailzico@gmail.com>BRAC University
BangladeshNur Ahammad<ahammadnur59@gmail.com>Independent University
BangladeshMd. Rafiqur Rahman<rafiqur83@gmail.com>East West University
Bangladesh

Kazi Farhad Noman

<nomankazidu@yahoo.com>

Southeast University

BelgiumChristof Verdonck<christof.verdonck@uhasselt.be>Hasselt University
BrazilWashington Luís<washingtonsegundo@ibict.br>Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT)
CanadaMariya Maistrovskayamariya.maistrovskaya@utoronto.caUniversity of Toronto
ChinaZhu Zhongming<zzm@lzb.ac.cn>Lanzhou Branch Library of National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences
ColombiaHugo Alonso Albarracín Barriga<halbarba@banrep.gov.co>Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango
Costa RicaRolando Coto<rolandocoto@gmail.com>University of Costa Rica
CyprusChristos Rodosthenous <christos.rodosthenous@ouc.ac.cy>Open University of Cyprus
EthopiaYohannes Mulugeta<yohannesmulu@gmail.com>Addis Ababa University
Finland   
FranceSylvie Gresillaud<Sylvie.GRESILLAUD@inist.fr>INIST-CNRS
GermanyJoachim Räth<j.raeth@stadtteilgeschichten.net>www.stadtteilgeschichten.net
GhanaAbed Corletey<corletey1@yahoo.com>Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
GreeceFilippos Kolovos<filippos@uom.gr>University of Macedonia Library
HungaryJozef Bone<bonej@ceu.hu>Central European University
IndiaRajat Gupta<rajat@webinito.com>Webinito Networks
IndiaGujarat Bharat M. Chaudhari<bharat.dspace@gmail.com>School of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar
India/Maharashtra RegionSunita Barve<sunitab@ncra.tifr.res.in>National Centre for Radio Astrophysics
India/Himalayan North   
India/Eastern   
India/NortheasternF.R.Sumer<frsumer@nehu.ac.in>North-Eastern Hill University
India/SouthernG. Santhosh Kumar<san@cusat.ac.in>Cochin University of Science and Technology
India/The Plains   
India/Western   
Iran/Persian languageSaeed Moaddeli<moaddeli@eiah.org>Encyclopaedia of Iranian Architectural History
Italy   
Japan   
KenyaRosemary Otando <rosemary.otando@uonbi.ac.ke>University of Nairobi
LibyaAli M. Mohamed<alimahwer@yahoo.com>College of Electronic Technologies
Macedonia, Republic ofAleksandar Stojanov<aleksandar@nubsk.edu.mk>National and University Library "St. Clement of Ohrid"
Malaysia   
MexicoPablo Prieto


 pablop@almat.com.mx 
NepalBishwa Raj Gautam<bswrajgautam@gmail.com>Nepal Library Association
Netherlands   
New Zealand/AustraliaSten Christensen<sten.christensen@sydney.edu.au>University of Sydney
NigeriaEzra Shiloba Gbaje<shiloba@yahoo.com>Ahmadu Bello University
NigeriaStephen Akintude<sakintun@gmail.com>University of Jos
NigeriaAkeredolu Joshua<akeredolujosh@gmail.com>Federal University of Technology Akure
Norway   
PakistanAamir Rasul<aamir.rasul@gmail.com>National University of Sciences and Technology
PakistanArslan Farooq<arslanone@gmail.com>Beaconhouse School System
PakistanSher Afzal<librarian@bahria.edu.pk>Bahria University Naval Complex
PakistanIftikhar Ali Shah<iftikhar.shah@isra.edu.pk>

Isra University Hyderabad
PakistanFaheem Akbar<faheem1a@yahoo.com>National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad
PeruLibio Huaroto<lhuaroto@unmsm.edu.pe>San Marcos University
Portugal   
Russia   
Saudi ArabiaMohammed M. Allehaibi<mma9859@gmail.com>Umm Alqura University
SingaporeJayan Kurian<jayanntu@gmail.comNational University of Singapore
South AfricaIna Smith<ismith@sun.ac.za>University of Stellenbosch
South AfricaHilton Gibson<hilton.gibson@gmail.com>University of Stellenbosch
South KoreaJongJin Park<jjpark72@gmail.com>Argonet Co, ltd.
SpainEmilio Lorenzo<elorenzo@arvo.es>Arvo Consultores
Sri LankaMM. Rifaudeen<rifayiqa@seu.ac.lk>South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
Sweden   
TanzaniaPaul Samwel Muneja<pmuneja@udsm.ac.tz>University of Dar es Salaam
ThailandThiti Vacharasintopchai<thitiv@siu.ac.th>Shinawatra University
Uganda

Andrew Mwesigwa

<amwesigwa@mulib.mak.ac.ug>

Makerere University

UkraineSergey Petrov<serg_pet@sumdu.edu.ua>Sumy State University
United Kingdom   

United States/Central Plains

(NE, KS, IA, MO)

Richard Jizba<rjizba@creighton.edu>Creighton University

United States/Great Lakes

(WI, IL, IN, OH, MI, MN)

Jim Ottaviani<hellpop@umich.edu>University of Michigan

United States/Midatlantic

(PA, NJ, DL, WV, VA, MD)

Alvin Hutchinson<HUTCHINSONA@si.edu>Smithsonian Institute

United States/Northeast

(NY, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, ME)

   

United States/Northwest

(AK, WA, OR, ID)

   

United States/Pacific

(CA, NV, AZ, HI)

Beth Tillinghast<betht@hawaii.edu>University of Hawaii

United States/Rocky Mountain

(MT, WY, UT, ND, SD, CO, NM)




United States/Southeast

(TN, KY, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, FL)

   

United States/Southwest

(TX, OK, AR, LA)