The gateways use standardised formats and technologies, which means they are all compatible and can inter-operate. It promotes the development of national gateway initiatives among the academic and library communities. It also promotes the adoption of standard procedures in setting up gateways, to ensure compatibility and the potential for integrating services. The Handbook received very favourable reviews from all peer reviewers and since its launch has received a great deal of positive feedback. They select, classify and catalogue information in ways similar to those that librarians have used for many years.
Gateways employ qualified editors with subject knowledge.
They also have formal selection and collection development policies. The solution for many European gateways has been to mobilise the academic and library communities to join the international gateway effort. Distributed teams of experts can contribute to gateways as part of their professional work. Librarians, university academics and professional people can spend a few hours a week building the gateway collections. Gateways use Web technologies that enable distributed working.