WSU Libraries

Research Exchange Task Force (formerly the Institutional Repository TF)

(The IRTF was created in 11-15-05; name changed to RETF 1-18-06

 

 

The Institutional Repository Task Force was established by the Libraries’ Administrative Team (Interim Director Cindy Kaag and Assistant Directors John Webb, Lynn Chmelir, Beth Lindsay and Sharon Walbridge), as goes into effect as of November 15, 2005

 

Background:

The Libraries and the University are committed to maintaining a repository of scholarly work produced by members of the WSU community.  The repository might hold data sets, published journal articles by WSU researchers, slides – just about anything produced by scholarly endeavor.  We have now reached the point where we are ready to launch this service and have set up an Institutional Repository Task Force to address organizational issues and guide the process.

 

Membership:

Al Cornish (chair), Kay Vyhnanek, Sarah McCord, Joel Cummings, Lorena O’English, Erica Carlson, Greg Mathews, Beth Lindsay, and Rachel Bridgewater.

 

Charge:

• Establish and modify as needed policies and procedures for accepting, cataloging, loading, preserving, migrating and providing access to digital objects related to education and research generated by WSU faculty, staff and students.  Such objects might include but are not limited to: dissertations and theses; slide sets and other images; raw data files; electronic copies of published articles; classroom materials

 

• Develop a plan for populating the repository by working with faculty and researchers to explain what an institutional repository is and getting them to contribute.

 

• Work with liaison librarians and other library personnel to educate them about repositories and assist in their efforts to involve faculty in their departments.

 

• Provide the Library and University administration with reports and budget requests as requested.

 

• Develop web pages to explain how a repository works and who to contact to contribute.

 

 

The Libraries’ Administrative Team is of course ready to provide any help and guidance the Task Force needs.

 

The group’s first task – setting aside the charge for a moment – is to rename this service! “Institutional Repository” says nothing to most people, can be off-putting, and doesn’t convey the breadth and importance of this aspect of modern academic library service.  So be watching for a name change as the Task Force tackles what I’m sure will be a fun, frustrating and fundamentally core service for the WSU Libraries.  –Cindy Kaag, Interim Director of Libraries, 11-15-05