arXiv.org, the popular open access repository for physics papers, is seeking donations to help keep it running.

Since 2001, arXiv has been run by the library at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. But the library says it can no longer afford the US$400,000 annual operating costs. This week it is expected to ask the top 200 institutional users of arXiv to make voluntary contributions.

“The top 200 institutions account for about 75% of institutionally identifiable downloads,” says an FAQ on the plans. “… Cornell University Library is facing significant budget cuts and we are seeking ways to share the cost of this community resource. Cornell University Library will continue to provide 15% of arXiv’s operating budget, an amount many times higher than the support we will request from other heavy user institutions.”

The arXiv team says it is committed to maintaining the repository as free to both users and those who submit papers. Since its foundation in 1991 arXiv has become a key resource for physicists, with many discoveries getting their first airing as pre-print papers on its website.

In the longer term, arXiv is looking at a number of models to make itself sustainable, but it says that it will remain committed to keeping its content free for researchers.

Image: the arXiv website earlier today.