Realities of Managing an Institutional Repository

Cook Library Art Gallery

When one researches the current literature on institutional repositories (IRs), a number of recent articles focus on problems of marketing to gain content, open access, and library publishing. However, these are not the only issues an IR librarian may face. This poster will address one librarian’s expectations upon being hired to manage an established IR of 2 years versus the realities of administering an IR during her first eight months. As with much of the literature, the expectation was a focus on marketing the IR to gain content from faculty and undergraduate students using the bepress platform. In reality, on the other hand, marketing is a secondary concern for the short term, as much of this librarian’s focus has been on setting goals and measurable outcomes, creating policies, addressing legal issues, and establishing workflows for adding content.