With very few exceptions, the repository software we use now is not the software we were using 20 years ago and is not the software we will use 20 years from now. In most academic repositories, however, we expect and demand that data -- be it articles, theses, digital collections, or datasets -- placed in our repositories 20 years ago or now will be available 20 years hence and on into the future. Experience with repository software migrations has highlighted the difficulties and risks associated with data migration and sometimes the lock-in these difficulties create.

This panel will highlight the features and benefits of adopting a storage layer upon which multiple repository systems can be implemented. The Oxford Common File Layout (OCFL) specification editors will introduce the format and describe the diversity of ways it is being used, including vendor systems, use as the storage foundation for Fedora 6 and local implementations. Most of the time will be devoted to panelist presentations on different implementations. Each panelist will cover the background of their repository application, reasons for selecting OCFL, implementation status and experience, and the utility of a software-agnostic storage layer.