1. E-Valuating Local Collections for Open Access: The NLU Experience
Deana Greenfield, Assistant Professor. MA, MSLIS
Rob Morrison, Assistant Professor. Ed.D

2. National Louis University
Distributed Campuses & Collections: Illinois Wisconsin Florida Poland

3. Open Access Collections
Digital Commons - Institutional
Repository (bepress)
Archives & Special Collections Archon database
Print collections and staff based
at Chicago Loop campus

4. OASIS: The NLU Digital Commons http://digitalcommons.nl.edu/
Aims & Scope
i.e. publishes original refereed manuscripts that contribute to scholarship and the knowledge base of practitioner research.
i.e. includes original practitioner research studies, theoretical articles pertaining to practitioner research, descriptions of practitioner research centers and book reviews.
i.e.’s audience includes teachers, teacher educators, curriculum specialists, professional developers, administrators, educational policymakers, and others interested in practitioner research (such as museum, arts and medical professionals).

5. NLU Archives and Special Collections http://archon. nl

6. Open Access Contributes to scholarship & communities
Supports NLU mission
Underserved communities
Access to quality higher education
Inquiry
Community engagement
Demonstrate “value” for NLU and academic community (tangible evidence)

7. Evaluation Process & Criteria
Local & Unique
Reflects student and faculty scholarship
Collections must be significant
Accessible to communities

8. Student works & dissertations Conferences and Research forums
History & Scholarship
Student works & dissertations
Conferences and Research forums
Teacher education
Heritage artifacts
Elizabeth Harrison & Edna Dean Baker papers

9. Open Access
Priorities
Unique collections
Historical significance
Existing resources and partnerships
Selective
Branding
Faculty and student scholarship

10. NLU 125th Anniversary
Photos for promotional materials drawn from NLU archives and special collections
Chicagoland architecture
Early Kindergarten classrooms and artifacts
Distinguished faculty and alumni
Alumni outreach
Class of 1958 yearbook photos
digitized by request
Alumni profiles places in digital commons
Archon has a public access option, which Archivists’ Toolkit does not. The search-ability of the database both by the public and employees far surpasses the capabilities of Archivists’ Toolkit. Browsing by title, creator, digital objects, subjects and record groups, as well as keywords, is a great benefit of this program and something that is not possible in the software we are currently using. Digital objects, audio, and video can be attached to a finding aid and viewed within the context of the collection, record group, or fonds.

11. NLU Archives & Special Collections
10 S. Van Buren
1200 S. Michigan
2944 S. Michigan

12. Challenges & OPPORTUNITIES
Intellectual Property policy review
Lack of staff for digitization projects
Promote the Digital Commons and
digital scholarship
New P/T policy emphasizes research
and scholarship

13. Questions?
What challenges do you face with institutional repositories at your institution?
What policies have been developed at your institution to deal with open access materials?