The Institutional Repository as a Tool for Librarians: Not Preaching to the Choir

Authors

Paul Royster, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Paul Royster

Date of this Version

1-8-2011

Document Type

Article

Comments

Presented at American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, San Diego, California, Saturday, January 8, 2011. Copyright 2011 Paul Royster.

Abstract

What makes the Institutional Repository a good tool for librarians who are not IR managers? Or (for IR managers): "How to get librarians to buy in to the repository?" An Institutional Repository is different from most other library functions. Instead of acquiring resources from the world marketplace to deliver to a local community, it acquires locally developed resources and delivers these to a worldwide community.

Ten reasons why librarians should support the IR:
1. Earn the respect of your administration
2. Earn the love of the faculty
3. Provide persistent URLs
4. Preserve digital assets
5. Make the Library the nucleus of scholarly communication
6. Utilize skills librarians already have
7. Learn & apply new skills
8. Utilize student skills
9. Take back scholarly communication
10. Support Open Access

Six ways librarians can support the IR:
1. Make Introductions
2. Gather postable materials
3. Evaluate the repository collections
4. Talk up the effort
5. Steer faculty to the "good-guy" publishers
6. Deposit your own articles !

Summary:
1. The IR is not a technology program or a collection development operation. It is a services program and a publishing operation.
2. It's all about the people: who among the faculty you can get to make the (small) commitment to participate; who in the Library you can get to make the (larger) commitment to help and support.

The Download button (right) links to a PDF version of the PowerPoint slide presentation. The complete set of 94 PowerPoint slides is attached (below) as a Related file.