Friends: The Netherlands is in the forefront of Open Access. I append here two news stories. One is about DARENET and Cream of Science and the other about NARCIS. The Dutch are very conscious about making their scientific output reach the widest possible audience and to showcase the best of Dutch science. We in India can learn from the Dutch example. We can showcase our best work - for example by creating an archive of full text papers of the Fellows of the major Academies (such as INSA, IASc), the equivalent of the Dutch Cream of Science. We can create a network of distributed institutional archives. Many studies have shown that papers available on OA archives are cited far more often than papers available only through toll-access journals. Subbiah Arunachalam DAREnet Worldwide access to Dutch academic research results. DAREnet gives free access to academic research output in the Netherlands. It is accessible from home and anywhere else on the planet. Read more about DAREnet ... The top of the bill, the cream on the cake, can be found through Cream of Science. The publications of over 200 top scientists in the Netherlands can be found here. Read more about Cream of Science ... As of December 2005 DAREnet harvests 60,000 digital records from the Institutional repositories of sixteen institutes. Read more about repositories ... DARE: a new, rapid form of communication academic research results DAREnet is the network of Digital Academic REpositories. It is a result of the national DARE programme involving all Dutch universities and several academic and research organisations as well. Its aim is to coordinate and stimulate a network of Dutch repositories (= digital 'treasure chests' ) containing academic research information. It thus enhances the accessibility to and visibility of this information, both national as international. DARE is a national initiative coordinated by the SURF Foundation. Read more about DARE ... Launch of NARCIS, gateway to Dutch research The Dutch DARE project has launched NARCIS (National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System). From today's announcement: The DARE project NARCIS (National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System) has recently lauched the beta version of its website; the gateway to Dutch scientific research information. NARCIS offers central access to Dutch research information. Information produced by Dutch universities, research institutes, KNAW and NWO is gathered and searchable here. In addition NARCIS is the entry par excellence for scientists, policy makers, intermediary organisations, journalists and the public for obtaining a survey on ongoing research in the Netherlands. The NARCIS website uses (among others) these information resources: [1] information from the digital academic repositories (DARE), [2] the Dutch Research Database (NOD), [3] public information from university METIS systems, [4] research information from NWO, [5] news sites from academic and research institutes, [6] information from outside universities through intelligent harvesting), [7] datasets. NARCIS offers research information in the broadest sense of the word and has therefore a wider focus than DAREnet has. Searching for material that is directly available when found, DAREnet is the place to be. Searching for information about research, researchers or (ongoing) research projects NARCIS gives insight without having to know in with information source to look. When full content results are available, NARCIS links through to the publication. Because NARCIS and DAREnet have similar functionalities, the two services might be combined in the future. Friends:   The Netherlands is in the forefront of Open Access. I append here two news stories. One is about DARENET and Cream of Science and the other about NARCIS. The Dutch are very conscious about making their scientific output reach the widest possible audience and to showcase the best of Dutch science. We in India can learn from the Dutch example. We can showcase our best work - for example by creating an archive of full text papers of the Fellows of the major Academies (such as INSA, IASc), the equivalent of the Dutch Cream of Science.  We can create a network of distributed institutional archives. Many studies have shown that papers available on OA archives are cited far more often than papers available only through toll-access journals.   Subbiah Arunachalam         DAREnet Worldwide access to Dutch academic research results. DAREnet gives free access to academic research output in the Netherlands. It is accessible from home and anywhere else on the planet. http://www.darenet.nl/page/language.view/dare.darenet Read more about DAREnet ... The top of the bill, the cream on the cake, can be found through Cream of Science. The publications of over 200 top scientists in the Netherlands can be found here. http://www.darenet.nl/page/language.view/keur.page Read more about Cream of Science ... As of December 2005 DAREnet harvests 60,000 digital records from the Institutional repositories of sixteen institutes. http://www.darenet.nl/page/language.view/repositories Read more about repositories ... http://www.darenet.nl/image.view/DAREtodream DARE: a new, rapid form of communication academic research results DAREnet is the network of Digital Academic REpositories. It is a result of the national DARE programme involving all Dutch universities and several academic and research organisations as well. Its aim is to coordinate and stimulate a network of Dutch repositories (= digital ‘treasure chests’ ) containing academic research information. It thus enhances the accessibility to and visibility of this information, both national as international. DARE is a national initiative coordinated by the http://www.surf.nl/en/ SURF Foundation. http://www.darenet.nl/page/language.view/repositories Read more about DARE ...          Launch of NARCIS, gateway to Dutch research The Dutch http://www.darenet.nl/en/ DARE project has launched http://www.narcis.info/narcis/?language=en NARCIS (National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System). From today's http://www.surf.nl/en/actueel/index2.php?oid=54 announcement : The DARE project NARCIS (National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System) has recently lauched the beta version of its website; the gateway to Dutch scientific research information. NARCIS offers central access to Dutch research information. Information produced by Dutch universities, research institutes, KNAW and NWO is gathered and searchable here. In addition NARCIS is the entry par excellence for scientists, policy makers, intermediary organisations, journalists and the public for obtaining a survey on ongoing research in the Netherlands. The NARCIS website uses (among others) these information resources: [1] information from the digital academic repositories ( http://www.darenet.nl/en/page/language.view/home DARE ), [2] the Dutch Research Database ( http://www.onderzoekinformatie.nl/en/oi/nod/ NOD ), [3] public information from university METIS systems, [4] research information from http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/SPPD_5R2QE7_Eng NWO , [5] news sites from academic and research institutes, [6] information from outside universities through intelligent harvesting), [7] datasets. NARCIS offers research information in the broadest sense of the word and has therefore a wider focus than DAREnet has. Searching for material that is directly available when found, DAREnet is the place to be. Searching for information about research, researchers or (ongoing) research projects NARCIS gives insight without having to know in with information source to look. When full content results are available, NARCIS links through to the publication. Because NARCIS and DAREnet have similar functionalities, the two services might be combined in the future.