The Leadership Group is made up of members that contribute annually to the project, along with representatives from the DSpace Community at large who are particularly committed to the Project, including Service Providers.

Leadership Group

The DSpace Leadership Group approves the overall priorities and strategic direction of the program.  The Group’s responsibilities are:

• Approve the annual budget
• Approve the DSpace product roadmap and strategic plan
• Nominate and elect Steering Group members and DSpace Program Chair
• Vote on significant changes to strategic direction or product roadmap presented by the Steering Group
• Help to raise funds and secure other resources on behalf of the DSpace Program

Composition of the Leadership Group

The Leadership Group is made up of the following 3 groups:

• DSpace Program Member Organizations: The largest component of the Leadership Group are representatives of DSpace member organizations that contribute annually to the project. These representatives are either selected or elected according to the ratios noted below.
• Lyrasis: One ex-officio representative of the DSpace Program's organizational home, Lyrasis.
• Community representation: Representatives from the DSpace Community-at-large who are particularly committed to the Project, including Service Providers.

DSpace Program Member Organizations

The composition of the Leadership Group reflects the different levels of membership outlined on the DSpace membership webpage.

• Platinum: Each Platinum member has an automatic seat on Leadership - 1 seat per member
• Gold: Gold members elect 1 representative for every 2 Gold-level member organizations.*
• Silver: Silver members elect 1 representative for seats for every 4 Silver-level member organizations.
• Bronze: Bronze members elect 1 representative for every 8 Bronze-level member organizations.

*DSpace Leadership has opted to allow an automatic seat for each Gold member in 2021 and 2022 Governance Years.

Other Leadership Group Members

• Lyrasis: As the DSpace Program's organizational home, Lyrasis retains one ex officio, non-voting seat on the Leadership Group.
• Community-at-large representatives: 2 Leadership Group voting seats are held for members of the Community. Candidates for these seats are nominated by the DSpace community at large and elected by the Leadership Group.
• Registered Service Providers: Certified Platinum Providers of the DSpace Registered Service Provider Program each have one voting seat on Leadership.
• DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT) Chair: The DCAT Chair has an ex officio, non-voting seat on Leadership.
• Ex officio and/or emeritus members: The DSpace Leadership Group may choose to invite others to join Leadership in an ex officio, non-voting capacity.

As maintainers of a global community of users supporting more equitable access to research and other digital content, the DSpace Program aspires to maintain a Leadership Group that is diverse in its representation of geographic regions, institution types, race, disability status, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Terms and elections

• The Leaders are elected for a 1-year, renewable term and there are no term limits.
• The Leadership Group term begins November 1 and concludes October 31.
• Membership organizations with an automatic seat (e.g. Platinum members) select an individual of their organization to fill the seat.

Meetings

• Meetings are held four times per year, with the first meeting of the governance year in November.
• Emergency meetings may be called by any Leadership or Steering member between established meeting times.
• Agendas and meeting notes from Leadership Group meetings are shared publicly.

DSpace Steering & Leadership Group Meetings 

2025/2026 DSpace Leadership Group Members (November 1, 2025 - October 31, 2026)

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

* Community At Large Representative

** Ex-officio member nominated by the Leadership Group as representative of the community at large. Ex-officio members do not have voting rights.

*** Representative for permanent ex-officio, non-voting Lyrasis seat.

† DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT) Chair, ex-officio, non-voting

2024/2025 DSpace Leadership Group Members (November 1, 2024 - October 31, 2025)

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

* Community At Large Representative

** Ex-officio member nominated by the Leadership Group as representative of the community at large. Ex-officio members do not have voting rights.

*** Representative for permanent ex-officio, non-voting Lyrasis seat.

† DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT) Chair, ex-officio, non-voting

2023/2024 DSpace Leadership Group Members (November 1, 2023 - October 31, 2024)

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

* Community At Large Representative

** Ex-officio member nominated by the Leadership Group as representative of the community at large. Ex-officio members do not have voting rights.

*** Representative for permanent ex-officio, non-voting Lyrasis seat.

† DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT) Chair, ex-officio, non-voting

2022/2023 DSpace Leaders (November 1, 2022 - October 31, 2023)

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

*Community At Large Representative

**Ex-officio member nominated by the Leadership Group as representative of the community at large. Ex-officio members don't have voting rights

2021/2022 DSpace Leaders

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

*Community At Large Representative

**Ex-officio member nominated by the Leadership Group as representative of the community at large. Ex-officio members don't have voting rights

2020/2021 DSpace Leaders

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

2019/2020 DSpace Leaders

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.

2018/2019 DSpace Leaders

Members are listed in alphabetical order by their surname.