Session 2: Introduction to Repository Software

1
Session 2 Introduction toRepository Software

• RSP Summer School 2007
• Leslie Carr

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Aim of Repository Software Session

• To gain an understanding of the facilities that
  repository software provides
• To become familiar with the use of various
  repository exemplars
• as visitors / readers
• as depositors
• To discover some of the range of repository
  software and providers

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Session Outline

• What is a repository?
• and other questions
• What sort of repositories are there?
• a biodiversity
• using a repository
• depositing items in a repository
• Where can I get one?

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What is a Repository?

• a repository is a set of services that a
  university offers to the members of its community
  for the management and dissemination of digital
  materials created by the institution and its
  community members. It is most essentially an
  organizational commitment to the stewardship of
  these digital materials, including long-term
  preservation where appropriate, as well as
  organization and access or distribution.
• Cliff Lynch, 2003, Institutional Repositories
  Essential Infrastructure for Scholarship in the
  Digital Age. ARL Bimonthly Report, No. 226.
• A repository is not, in itself, a service
• Margaret Henty, 2006, Ten Major Issues in
  Providing a Repository Service in Australian
  Universities, Dlib Magazine, May/June 2007

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What is a Repository for?

• a high percentage of newly published UK scholarly
  output is made available on an open access basis
  and there is a growing recognition of the
  benefits of making research data, learning
  resources and other academic content freely
  available for sharing and re-use.
• Powell and Heery, 2006. The Repository Roadmap

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What does Repository mean?

• Initially services were called archives
• The Los Alamos Archive, www.arxiv.org, 1991
• Open Archiving Initiative, 1999
• Self-archiving
• Terminology changed around 2003
• archive implied a dusty room where old,
  unwanted information could be stored out of the
  way
• repository is a place where items can be put -
  the emphasis is on facilitating the deposit
  process
• Is distinct from
• Digital library - e.g. Greenstone
• Content management system - e.g. SharePoint

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What does a Repository do?

• Receives digital items from depositers
• Collects metadata along with deposit
• Facilitates editorial and other organisational
  checks and supplements in workflows (e.g.
  security, QA, learning assessment)
• Stores items
• Delivers items upon request, according to policy
  and licence
• Provides user-oriented functions
• Collection-making
• Search, browsing
• Alerting
• Reporting
• Preservation
• Co-operates with other actors in the information
  environment
• Google and search engine spiders
• OAI harvesters
• Institutional systems e.g research management

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What can our Repository be?

• What does your institution need from a
  repository?
• What sort of digital objects do you need to
  collect?
• What sort of metadata do you need about them?
• How do you want people to view your
  collection(s)?
• What facilities do you want to provide?
• What constraints are you working under?
• Technical expertise?
• Resourcing?
• Management support?

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Repository Biodiversity

• Dont consider your requirements in isolation
• Keep aware of what others are doing
• good practice
• Inspiration
• Use repository registries to see Who is doing
  What!
• www.opendoar.org
• roar.eprints.org
• The next group of slides will show a variety of
  repositories to look at and browse around to get
  some experience

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Institutional Repository (DSpace)

• http//dspace.lboro.ac.uk/

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Institutional Repository (EPrints)

• Extended types of digital object to include
  outputs from Art, Music etc.
• Extensive bibliography lists for departments and
  research groups
• Intensive use for Research Assessment

• http//eprints.soton.ac.uk/

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OceanographyResearch Repository

• Deep-Sea image archive
• metadata for
• species (classification, behaviour),
• site (location, habitat),
• rig (operator, ROV)

http//serpent.eprints.org/
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Geolocated Multimedia Repository
http//txspace.tamu.edu/ (Map Library
community) http//labs.di.tamu.edu8080/geofolios/
browse-title
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Institutional Repository (BePress)
http//epubs.surrey.ac.uk/
15
Chemistry Research Data Repository

• http//ecrystals.chem.soton.ac.uk/
• Scientific data repository which collects data
  sets and exposes scientific metadata
• Accredited by international subject body (IUCR)

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How do I deposit in a Repository?

• Here is a simple example of a journal article
• See your information packs
• Deposit it into either
• demoprints3.eprints.org
• rspdspace.aber.ac.uk

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How do I deposit in a Repository?

• Here is a complex example of a preprint
• See your information packs
• Discuss the problems that you might have in
  depositing this

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Where can I get a Repository?

• Open Source
• DSpace - www.dspace.org
• EPrints - www.eprints.org
• Fedora - www.fedora.info
• Paid For
• ProQuest (BePress)
• Open Repository (DSpace)
• EPrints Services (EPrints)
• VTLS (Fedora)

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Where can I get a Repository?

• DSpace - www.dspace.org

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Where can I get a Repository?

• EPrints - www.eprints.org

21
Where can I get a Repository?

• Fedora - www.fedora.info

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Who will sell me a Repository?

• Proquest (BePress) www.il.proquest.com

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Who will sell me a Repository?

• Open Repository (DSpace) www.openrepository.com

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Who will sell me a Repository?

• EPrints Services (EPrints) www.eprints.org/service
  s

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Who will sell me a Repository?

• VTLS (VITAL / Fedora) www.vtls.com/Products/vital.
  shtml

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• Leslie Carr
• lac_at_ecs.soton.ac.uk