Volume 6, Issue 1, Fall 2005

Library and CITES to Create Digital Repository

This fall, the Library and CITES will launch a multi-year effort to preserve and provide access to the digital scholarship of faculty and students on campus. Many peer institutions are now in the process of implementing this type of service, known in the library world as an “institutional repository” or a “digital a rchive.” The project is funded by the Library and CITES, with support from the Office of the Provost.

The repository will include a variety of digital materials, such as publications, reports, working papers, and presentations. Faculty will be consulted for their suggestions regarding what items should be included as well as which campus units would be likely to contribute. They also will be asked to help explore how the repository can be used to disseminate scholarly output apart from traditional, commercial channels .

There are several benefits associated with establishing a campuswide digital repository. These include:

• Free service that will allow faculty to make their publications widely accessible and ensure that they are preserved in digital form.
• Promising alternative to commercial ventures or self-publishing.
• Permanent access to digital publications and related materials.
• Increased visibility of the research of faculty and their department or unit.
• Worldwide accessibility from a variety of locations.

Currently, the Library and CITES are planning each phase of the project, which will be implemented over a six-year period. This includes the creation of the steering committee, which will be co-chaired by Pete Siegel, chief information officer for the Urbana campus, and Paula Kaufman, university librarian. A working group also will be established and will be co-chaired by Mike Grady, senior technology architect and strategist for CITES, and Beth Sandore, associate university librarian for information technology planning and policy.

For more information, visit www.library.uiuc.edu/administration/it/reports.html and click on the link for “Illinois Digital Scholarship White Paper.”