June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Ann Koopman June 4, 2007

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository What we’re archiving and How we’re recruiting content Or, collection development with a twist

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository My perspective Thomas Jefferson U Digital Commons, est A tad over 1,000 docs All health sciences, all the time < 1 fulltime staff person working on JDC

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository If we build it, will they come? Not without a lot of coaxing IRs represent significant behavioral change for faculty & task changes for libraries: –Inertia –Time/thought/attention –Habit –Expectations Peter Suber’s & Susan Gibbons’ observations; symposia, IR sample promotional documents

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Does IR software make a difference? DSpace, Digital Commons, E-prints, CONTENTdm and others share similar issues Our technological capability is greater than current demand for the service. We’re in the business of shaping a market / creating demand.

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository How to measure success (ROI)? Count things or activities –Number of items in collections(s) –Types of items –Number of downloads Identify users –In-house vs. external Extent of participation –Student, faculty, administrative

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Advantages for the library Visibility of the library on campus as academic partner Evidence of increased citation rates for faculty benefits whole institution Beyond digital library to University Press Effecting change in publishing patterns and/or policies Establishing ROI on these is less tangible

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository So what are libraries collecting? Digital reproductions of archives & special collections / digital library Faculty preprints/postprints Original materials: –Student products –Lectures, campus events, conference proceedings –Teaching materials & original faculty producst –Journals, newsletters, e-books Community / government information In ALL formats!

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Digital reproductions Converting our own print collections = easiest Project example: –Jim Bradley, Ball State University’s Digital Media Library (CONTENTdm) –Initial collection ( ) a few hundred images –By late 2006, 30 collections and >60,000 items –Built with grants and community involvement –Significant staff commitment and in-house digitizing

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Other convertible material Rare books Institutional histories / archives / yearbooks Image collections (photos, postcards) Local newspapers & community documents Library reports, training & help documents

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Limitations & support Money, staff availability, money, collections, money, standards, money, equipment, money, administrative support Did I mention money? Digitization of our own collections can be demanding, but there isn’t anything about it that can’t be solved by throwing money at it.

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Faculty preprints & postprints Behavioral barriers – U. Rochester studies Deposit rates Competition from other archives (NIH, Creative Commons) U. Queensland example (E-Prints): MANDATE Technology & policy barriers –Publisher policies (contracts, versions) –Time & account requirements for deposit –Training for administrative assistants

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Gentle persuasion What motivates faculty to participate? NO! –OA for public good –Promotion of university or department –Disruption of dysfunctional publication environment –Archival function / preservation YES! –Control over format/presentation/version –Professional visibility / increased citation rate –Possible superior discoverability (depends on field) –Free –Example set by people they want to emulate/impress –Use statistics –Handholding (someone to do it FOR them)

Features As Stated in Promotional Literature Degree to Which Faculty Understand the Feature and Perceive Its Benefit Institutional repository 0% Support for a variety of formats 25% Digital preservation 25% Access control 100 % Metadata 0% Open-source software 0% From Susan Gibbons, Making a Repository a Success with your Academic Staff See also Foster, NF and Gibbons, S. Understanding Faculty to Improve Content Recruitment for Institutional Repositories. D-Lib Magazine. 11(1) January 2005, available at

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Faculty outreach Departmental meetings Thought leaders, chairmen Invitation program (our rate = 50% / 15%) Celebrations/receptions New faculty orientations Library newsletters, campus news Subject liaisons (personal approach) - linked to collection development responsibilities

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Original works: Student products ETDs –E.g., NDLTD, U Penn Undergraduate theses, projects –E.g., Haverford senior theses Student newspapers, yearbooks, organization papers –E.g., Jefferson student manual

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Issues for student products ETDs –Support of / coordination with graduate office(s) –Patents, technology transfer –Prior publication –Overlap with UMI Undergrads –Inclusion of copyrighted content –Faculty approval / quality control –Extent of access (campus vs. world)

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Original materials: Teaching products Shared access vs. course management system (e.g. Bb) –Syllabi –Lectures / podcasts & videos –Images Competition from professional societies, special projects –E.g., HEAL (Health Education Assets Library)

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Original materials: Administrative Annual reports Course catalogs Programs of special events (commencement) Dissertation preparation instructions Often now born digital Collect PDFs from websites Build relationships with administrative staff Strong archives program helps

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Special cases in medicine Grand rounds presentations Protocols and methods Patient education materials Data

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Common issues Cost of recording Extent of access Availability of streaming delivery Upkeep of relationships

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository More originals: Special events Guest lectures Conference or workshop proceedings Campus traditions (debates, performances) Issues: Cost, format of recording Releases by participants Relationship of commercial sponsorship

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Even more: Serials Article archive vs. publication/peer review support Digital Commons evolved from publication support to IR IR as University Press –Purdue University –California Digital Library –Boston College –Thomas Jefferson University

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Promotion strategies Personal contact, 1-on-1, influence spheres, invitations Editorial control by dept / individual faculty –Training and support available Supplementation / substitution for print counterpart Born-digital option Free?? Replaces need for vendor support / advertising Storage capacity Archival storage, permanent links

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Creating demand Appeal to faculty egos –Featured author / community –Personal researcher pages –Paper of the day –Visible statistics: Top 10 downloads, individual document # of downloads –Personal invitations Integrate repository into main university webpages, e.g. research page

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Pace yourselves Beware too much of a good thing (too much, too quickly) –Staffing requirements –Funding Set ROI expectations in advance –What will constitute success for you? Build slowly –Proof-of-concept materials –Departmental partnerships, presentations –Pilot projects

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Resources Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories. Symposium: “The Successful Repository” June 2006, HTML and PPT presentations available at Jim Bradley. “Launching Digital Collections” dm.htm & the (large) PPT at dm.htm Foster, NF and Gibbons, S. “Understanding Faculty to Improve Content Recruitment for Institutional Repositories” D-Lib Magazine. 11(1) January 2005, available at

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository Contact Ann Koopman JEFFLINE Editor Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Scott Library: Jefferson Digital Commons:

June 4, 2007 Ann Koopman Feeding the Fledgling Repository What have you been doing? –Q&A –Group discussion / sharing Do we want to have an IR roundtable next year?