Rethinking Institutional Repositories

Abstract

Over the past twenty years, institutional repositories (IRs) have become commonplace across most colleges and universities. While IRs were originally conceived as a means to collect and disseminate faculty scholarship, in recent years it has become apparent that this may not be the most effective use case for the modern IR. In light of this changing landscape, how should IR managers think about the IR today? This session will provide an overview of the forthcoming book Rethinking Institutional Repositories, published by ACRL, which seeks to answer this question through contributions from IR managers at a wide range of institutions. The session will also briefly highlight several case studies from the book that provide practical suggestions for managing the modern IR, developing innovative projects and use cases for the IR, and using the IR as a means to highlight and showcase diverse voices and viewpoints and to provide an inclusive platform for all members of the community.