Open Access Repositories in Historical Retrospect

The formation of information systems (IS) in the modern sense is associated with the advent of computer tools. It is believed that the first information systems emerged in the 1950s. [1]. Developing rapidly and intensively, they have covered all spheres of human activity and have become very diverse in terms of purpose, types, architectural features, methods of collecting, presenting and processing data. IP has become an integral part of the life of both an individual and society as a whole, significantly transforming modern culture, in which traditional culture and digital technologies are inextricably linked. This article examines a special type of information systems widely used in the scientific and academic environment - open access repositories of publications, the main purpose of which is to provide accessibility and openness of the intellectual output of society. A look at the history and evolution of these systems helps to understand their place and role in the global social process of informatization of society, to comprehend the information needs of users, the prerequisites and context for the provenance of these needs.