This repository rave will celebrate and reflect on the work of the national subject based repository, VADS (http://vads.ac.uk), which provides access to over 140,000 images from across 300 UK visual arts collections. The needs of specialist arts collections will be briefly summarised, and how this impacts on the management of the aggregated VADS collection, including approaches to metadata, web design, IPR, and copyright. As well as current repository management practices, some of the key changes to repository practice in its 20 year history will also be outlined. In particular, this will include approaches to the challenge of sustainability of digital cultural heritage collections, and our development of a form of ‘Gold Open Access’ as a funding model for the VADS collection.

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