A Tale of Two IRs: Vastly different institutions and what we learned from each other
Abstract
This presentation tells the tale of two Scholarly Communications Librarians that were paired through the Open Education Network’s Colleague Connector program. Annelise Doll is from an R1 university with a robust repository, Michigan Technological University. Melissa Chim is from a fully online university with a repository in its early stages. Although they come from two very different institutions, they've found common ground in how they approach IR management. From this case study, attendees will learn how the development of each of their repositories has been guided by the goals of their institutions and IRs and the similar challenges each of them faces. Both librarians will provide an introduction to their universities and repositories, including content type, depositing requirements, and workflows. This presentation will also cover various IR projects that the librarians are pursuing. Annelise will discuss how utilizing built-in tools has of the Digital Commons platform have streamlined repository development and aided in supporting research proposals. Melissa will also discuss how she utilizes her IR to preserve Pressbooks projects. Embedded within the projects discussed are practical examples of how to perform outreach related to an IR, how (or not) to solicit works to be deposited, and how IRs can be used in grant applications. Together, these examples will illuminate how attendees could demonstrate the value of their IRs to their university communities. This presentation will conclude with a look at what future direction these IRs will take, and what opportunities and challenges may be encountered.