Quickly following what many expected to be a wholesale revolution in
library practices, institutional repositories encountered unforeseen
problems and a surprising lack of impact. Clunky or cumbersome
interfaces, lack of perceived value and use by scholars, fear of
copyright infringement, and the like tended to dampen excitement and
adoption.This collection of essays, arranged in five thematic sections,
is intended to take the pulse of institutional repositories-to see how
they have matured and what can be expected from them, as well as
introduce what may be the future role of the institutional repository.
Making Institutional Repositories Work takes novices as well as
seasoned practitioners through the practical and conceptual steps
necessary to develop a functioning institutional repository, customized
to the needs and culture of the home institution. The first section
covers all aspects of system platforms, including hosted and open-source
options, big data capabilities and integration, and issues related to
discoverability. The second section addresses policy issues, from the
basics to open-source and deposit mandates. The third section focuses on
recruiting and even creating content. Authors in this section will
address the ways that different disciplines tend to have different
motivations for deposit, as well as the various ways that institutional
repositories can serve as publishing platforms. The fourth section
covers assessment and success measures for all involved-librarians,
deans, and administrators. The theory and practice of traditional
metrics, alt metrics, and peer review receive chapter-length treatment.
The fifth section provides case studies that include a
boots-on-the-ground perspective of issues raised in the first four
sections. By noting trends and potentialities, this final section,
authored by Executive Director of SPARC Heather Joseph, makes future
predictions and helps managers position institutional repositories to be
responsive change and even shape the evolution of scholarly
communication.
