A quick update on the OSR Conservation Process:
- The software is coming together slowly but surely. Nothing hard, it’s just a bit boring and, as I’m busy with other projects, it gets only a limited quota of my attention. I decided to write a barebones system that does what I think it needs instead of getting a Gallery installation that provides instant gratification but, well, doesn’t do what I need. Slowly but surely.
- “Nothing whatsoever” is sadly more or less the amount of attention the whole conservation initiative got from publishers and authors. I wonder if it’s because the site is not there yet, because I have scarce visibility in the OSR blogosphere or because it’s deemed not important by the cool kids.
Slowly but surely. If you build it, they will come. Blah blah blah. 
As to point number 2, I think the nature of the project stacks the deck against you a wee bit. People want to read about new exciting finds. I think your project has merit, it just isn’t very sexy.
Here’s a suggestion: put together a press release type document urging publishers of free material to send new releases to your gmail address. Ask them to put in the header something like [archive]. Set up a filter/rule/whatever that automatically email’s back anyone who sends something with the header “By submitting to the OSR Conservation Project you grant us perpetual license to host your pdf for free download. If you do not agree to these terms, please reply to this email and your pdf will be removed from the archive.”
The press release will be easy to circulate. At least some folks will get in the routine of sending a copy of everything to the archive.
That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll do that.
Even better, it would be cool if someone more literate than me helped writing it