Promoting and Archiving Student Work through an Institutional Repository: Trinity University, LASR, and the Digital Commons

Abstract

The authors discuss the development of a related set of institutional repositories among several liberal arts college libraries. Contrary to the usual focus on faculty publications, the primary goal of these repositories is the promotion of student work, especially undergraduate theses. Discussion of issues concerning selection of materials and archival policies is included along with practical considerations of workflows and reflections on the advantages and disadvantages of the particular software platform (Digital Commons).Marketing the repository and the subsequent addition of other materials, including ejournals, are discussed in light of ambiguity about its purposes among campus faculty and students.3

Institutional Repositories at Small Institutions in America: Some Current Trends

“…Trinity University, for example, reported 7,000 downloads of just 110 items over a 10-month period (Nolan & Costanza, 2006 past year, perhaps reflecting the longer establishment of IRs at this time. Most repositories using the Digital Commons software included a total number of full-text downloads "in the last week."…”

“…This helps alumni feel like an ongoing part of the school and creates a stronger tie between alumni and their alma mater (Nolan & Costanza, 2006). Student authors have used the repository to link to their work in graduate school applications, and friends and family often enjoy viewing student work as well.…”

“…Trinity University's Nolan and Costanza (2006) write, "Our student thesis project has a substantial advantage over faculty-oriented archives: Students understand the benefits of the online repository much faster than faculty and staff" (p. 97). Trinity University's Nolan and Costanza (2006) write, "Our student thesis project has a substantial advantage over faculty-oriented archives: Students understand the benefits of the online repository much faster than faculty and staff" (p. 97).…”

“…Repository managers also discuss the benefits of students' becoming exposed to an alternative model of academic publishing before entering their careers (Nolan & Costanza, 2006;Fishel & Faiks, 2006). As mentioned earlier, collecting student work provides important ongoing connections to alumni and services to students and their families and is useful for prospective students.…”

From Freshman to Graduate: Making the Case for Student-Centric Institutional Repositories

“…Believing that "the best opportunity to engage students in critical thinking and discussion about scholarly communication is within the context of an academic course or program" (Gilman, 2013, p. 90), library faculty are working towards regular integration into the campus curriculum, both through classes already offered and new courses taught by librarians. Future library courses in advanced research methods will address similar student information literacy needs (Lowe & Stone, 2014), including attribution, evaluation of sources, communication of evidence, as well as copyright, fair use, licensing, and alternative publishing models and how they can be used on campus (Nolan & Costanza, 2006). The library will continue to look for ways to add value and be a more active learning partner on campus through the integration of scholarly communication.…”