Extending and Embedding the University Repository Service - Developing repositories at Worcester repository service (DRAW)
Repositories enhancement project
Download the Final Report
Special focus on extending and embedding the university repository service
The university set up an e-repository for learning and teaching materials in 2005 using CoRE, a repository system developed at City College Coventry, currently in use in around 30 HE/FE institutions in the region. CoRE was developed specifically for educational materials and the way it works is designed to meet the needs of tutors. It works to common standards, has an open approach, and is listed in OpenDOAR. Worcester’s repository development was carried out in conjunction with WM-Share, a project based at the university funded as part of the JISC Distributed e-Learning programme. Working with WM-Share has helped the university create its repository and given insight into the processes of sharing e-resources in learning and teaching.
Aims and Objectives
The project is intended to extend the university’s recently established learning and teaching repository: Learning Materials Online, to create a comprehensive university repository service. In addition, the university repository infrastructure will be enhanced by adding facilities for research publications. A second repository to hold research and other creative media, Worcester Research and Publications (WRaP)is currently under development. A significant part of the project is to develop ways to embed repository use into institutional procedures and workflows so that it becomes a natural part of the working approach adopted by academic staff.
Project Methodology
The project team is largely drawn from members of the Learning and Teaching Services section of the university Information and Learning Services, they will both plan and implement the work of the project. The team will call on the services of other staff within Information and Learning Services for any required technical development, web services and user services. The core membership of the team will include university staff who worked on the recent WM-Share project, which finished December 2006. This is to ensure continuity and to make the most of expertise already developed. Additional members of ILS will join the team and the full team will in fact be the group who will run the new university repository service as an ongoing service in future.
Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes
The overall aim of the project will be realised through the following outcomes:
- Build a comprehensive repository service which meets the immediate needs of university staff whilst remaining interoperable and encouraging wider sharing of both learning and teaching materials and academic publications across the HE sector
- Develop new workflows and working practices to embed the use of the e-repository infrastructure by teaching staff, researchers, library and support staff.
- Create a culture of open sharing of e-resources
Technology/Standards used
Version 3 (Beetroot)
2007-01-23
The WRaP repository uses EPrints software. Archives are OAI-compliant and share the same metadata, making their contents interoperable with one another.
Learning Materials Online uses the CoRE system. The metadata schema on which this is based is UL-LOM. This metadata schema ensures interoperability between systems.
Project Steering Group
Project Staff
Project Manager
- Sarah Hayes, University of Worcester, Information and Learning Services Tel: 01905 855162 s.hayes@worc.ac.uk
Project Director
- Andrew Rothery University of Worcester, Information and Learning Services Tel: 01905 855348 a.rothery@worc.ac.uk
Project Team