Arca Digital Repository

Arca is a collaborative initiative that puts the development and implementation of a digital repository within reach for every organisation, at a reasonable cost, and in a supported environment. 

Administrator resources and support, including documentation, training webinars, and metadata guidelines can be found on the Arca support site.

To search and discover BC's digital treasures, visit the Arca repository.

BCHDP grant recipients can find out more about Arca hosting options on the BCHDP-Arca Hosting Initiative page.

Questions? Contact the Arca Administrative Centre.

Vision

Arca exists to create opportunities to share digital scholarship and heritage, and to build communities in British Columbia and beyond; for access, discovery, and knowledge creation, with cost-effective, shared infrastructure.

Through centralised coordination and a collaborative approach, Arca:

• Ensures organisations can offer a high-quality, responsive digital repository service at an affordable cost.
• Maximises system efficiencies through centralised licensing, expertise, best practices, and support.
• Builds a community of practice that extends expertise, nurtures innovation and cultivates collaboration.
• Facilitates search across digital assets from all participating organisations.
• Seeks opportunities to strengthen and build new partnerships.

Values

Arca partners value...

• Knowledge Sharing - creating openness to shared digital assets
• Collaboration - emphasising collective action and collaboration across diverse organisations
• Building Trust - through transparency and accountability
• Sustainability - cost-sharing whenever feasible and practical
• Excellence - continuous improvement and innovation to support high-quality education and services

Essential Partners

Arca is built on Islandora, a Canadian-developed open-source platform currently in use at over 100 public and private organisations worldwide. This shared platform provides organisations with open-access repositories for research, theses, and any other digital assets they wish to make available to the wider community.

Arca is made possible by a partnership between BC ELN and Charlottetown, PEI-based software firm discoverygarden. Implementation was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.