Alternative Models of Scholarly Communication: The “Toddler Years” for Open Access Journals and Institutional Repositories The University of Pennsylvania Experience Mary Steiner, Penn Library LITA National Forum, San Jose, CA 1 October 2005
Why get into this business anyway? Scope and nature of repository Implementation (setting the stage) Operations (nuts and bolts) Assessment Going public (launch) Outreach & Marketing The Path to an Institutional Repository Points to Consider
Why get into this business anyway? Overriding Theme Publicize, disseminate, archive campus scholarship Interested readers can learn about and keep up-to-date with scholarship from anywhere in the world Improve visibility of academic research and scholarly activity
Motivating Factors Set information free Capture ephemeral content Specific desire of a campus unit Highlight student scholarship Make teaching materials available Library opportunity Need for “trustworthy” archive Provide publishing platform Push from campus leadership Scholars’ document management system Dovetail with other efforts
Campus Climate Centralized vs. decentralized Funding structure Top-down vs. grassroots Relationship between: –Campus archives –Academic computing –Library Champions (within and outside of library) Subject Liaisons
Scope and Nature of Repository SHORT TERM –Where to start? –Pilot phase Gain understanding of system Seed the repository LONG TERM –Expand across campus –Cooperation/links with other repositories
Penn Pilot School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) interested in raising its profile Feature their “best” work Subject liaison support Support from School’s leadership Collaboration between SEAS and Library
Implementation (Setting the Stage) Oversight Infrastructure/platform Policies Human & financial resources
Operations (Nuts and Bolts) Content file types and metadata Procedures –for administrators, authors, and their agents Getting content Seeding the repository
Going Public (Launch) Criteria for going public Register with search engines, directories Spread the word...
Outreach & Marketing (Initial audience) Informing, discussing with individuals and groups Unit endorsement Individual awareness Provide guidelines Encouraging participation Individual statistics Copyright awareness
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Outreach & Marketing (Across Campus) Everything previous, plus... Mailings, write-ups Demos Site Features Share site statistics
Promotional Brochure
Assessment Qualitative Quantitative How to measure greater impact of Penn research?
Lessons Learned Toddlers are messy Toddlers need repetition Toddlers play well with others Toddlers grow
Where to go from here? Expanding beyond SEAS Hosting an e-journal Long-term management of service
Parting Words What might Benjamin Franklin say about institutional repositories and open access? The doors of wisdom are never shut. Poor Richard’s Almanack