Institutional Repositories… publish and be damned? Stephanie Taylor, UKOLN

Institutional Repositories… publish and be damned?
IWMW 2008 - University of Aberdeen
Stephanie Taylor
UKOLN

A Very Short History of the Institutional Repository (1)…
Lots of interest from institutions, funding bodies and the HE ‘blue skies thinkers’
Every institution should have one!
A showcase for research
A resource for teaching and learning materials
Institutions are doing it for themselves!

A Very Short History of the Institutional Repository (2)…
Funding follows, projects bloom, institutions start to implement
Technical infrastructure quickly settles on bought in software packages hosted in-house
Institutions start comparatively slow and steady implementation of an IR
Not all potential contributers are enthusiastic
IRs are so last year!

When IRs met Web Managers…
Not always love at first sight (!)
In the world outside, all things Web 2.0 and social networking are happening
In comparison, IRs seem very cumbersome –
Out-of-the-box software
Hosted locally
Not dynamic in a Web 2.0 sense
Not very sexy?

IRs – What Is The Point?
Why not store, access and share the contents of an IR online?
Why not use existing tools and services like Google suite, Flickr etc., not locally-hosted software?
Haven’t we got lots of other stuff already doing the same thing?
Do we really need an IR as part of our web presence?
IRs are so not Web 2.0!

Irreconcilable Cultural Differences?
Who is controlling the IR content and why?
Academics and institutions – an eternal conflict? Why bother getting involved
Why not let researchers look after their own research output?
Why not let teachers manage their own learning materials?
Doesn’t open access mean self-management?
They’ll never catch on!

And Another Thing…
Outsourcing the IR seems like the latest trend
Aren’t institutions loosing control?
Is it part of the institutional web presence or isn’t it?
How risky is it to outsource core technologies?
IR Managers – can’t live with ‘em - can’t live with ‘em…!

Walking in the shoes of someone else...
What does an IR manager have to do to get attention around here?
How can I sell this to researchers if I have nothing to show them?
Where do I put deposits if the repository isn’t ready?
Who cares where it is and who looks after it as long as it does want I want?
It’s the content, stupid!

What’s The Big Deal?
It isn’t the content
It isn’t the software
It isn’t the hosting options
It isn’t a single solution to any problem
It’s all about…
… changing the publishing model!

The IR – A Quick Review
The IR has a role in the output of an institution
The IR has a role in the output of an individual researcher and teacher
The IR isn’t the single answer to any question – it is one tool that can be used effectively
It needs to be seen as part of an overall network of sharing and managing e-content
Breaking News – the IR has a useful role!

Into The Future (1)…
View the IR as one of many small conversations you institution is having with many audiences –
Research staff & teaching staff
Students
Administrators
Prospective staff and students
Local community
Regional, national and international institutions
Funding bodies
Anyone else who knows you…

Into The Future (2)…
Consider the IR as part of your whole web presence, not matter who manages it or where it is hosted
Think flexibility – open access may not always be appropriate for all material
Think integration – how can it be integrated into other initiatives and linked to other online tools, both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 as well as in-house systems

The Big News About IRs…
They are not the answer to all the problems of an institution
There is a lot of work still to be done to make them useful for contributors and users
But, the really big news is…

The
Institutional Repository…
… is actually quite useful!

Stephanie Taylor
[email_address]
[email_address]
Questions?

http://dablog.ulcc.ac.uk	40
http://us-w1.rockmelt.com	8
http://repositories.wikispaces.com	4
http://lanyrd.com	2
https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net	2
http://revolution.dev	1
http://richardmdavis.wordpress.com	1

Institutional Repositories… publish and be damned? Stephanie Taylor, UKOLN

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