Choosing an Institutional Repository Platform

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Choosing an Institutional Repository Platform

• By
• Ezra Shiloba Gbaje
• B.Tech. Maths/Computer Science, MLS
• shiloba_at_yahoo.com
• Department of Library and Information Science
• Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

Sharondelight Information Consults
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Choosing an IR Software

• Institutional Repositories are major players in
  the Open Access movement
• Purpose Not to recommend any single system
• Each Institutional Repository platform has unique
  strengths.
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton, MIT Libraries
  Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
3
Potential Uses

• Pre-print and e-print archives
• Online theses Dissertation
• Educational materials
• Digital libraries materials delivery
• University records management
• Alternative publishing platforms (in the future)
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton, MIT Libraries
  Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
4
Components of an Institutional Repository System

• Interface for adding content to the system
• Interface for searching/browsing/retrieving
  content
• Content database for storing content
• Administrative interface to support collection
  management and
• preservation activities
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
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Features to look for in Choosing IR platforms
Basic Technical Building Blocks

• Windows or Unix/Linux Servers
• Web Server, such as Apache and related web
  application tools
• Database, such as MySQL, DB2, Oracle, Postgres,
  SQL Server
• Institutional Repository Software
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
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Features to look for in Choosing IR platforms
Product Features to Consider

• File formats supported text, images, datasets,
  video, audio, etc.
• Metadata standards (descriptive, technical,
  preservation, rights)
• Interoperability OAI compliance, Z39.50, SRW,
  etc.
• Permanent item address or locator (e.g.,
  persistent URL)
• Search/browse of metadata
• Full-text search
• Workflow, submission for content approval
• User authentication and authorisation
• Back-end content contributor, editor,
  administrator, metadata
• editor
• Front-end end-user access to content
• Customisation API (application programming
  interface) for customising
• the software, extending features as needed
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
7
Features to look for in Choosing IR platforms
Software Developer/Distributor

• Free vs. commercial software (licence,
  subscription fees)
• Open Source vs. proprietary
• Technical support available
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
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Features to look for in Choosing IR platforms
Technical Issues Once a Service is Running

• Service availability (24/7)
• Scalability (growth)
• Backup and recovery
• System maintenance
• Extensibility access to other university
  resources, systems
• Customization
• Internationalisation/multilingual support
• Data loading
• - Creating an Institutional Repository LEADIRS
  Workbook By Mary R. Barton Margaret M. Waters

SharonDelight Information Consult
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Some IR Software Platform

• Dspace www.dspace.org
• Eprint- www.eprints.org/
• Fedora - www.fedora-commons.org/
• Archimede - http//www1.bibl.ulaval.ca/archimede/i
  ndex.en.html
• CDSware www.cdsware.cern.ch/

SharonDelight Information Consult
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• Thank you

SharonDelight Information Consult