Chris Rusbridge has developed the idea that repositories need to be more than somewhere you put things, and suggest that they should offer help. This is great. There are lots of things he suggests I could use. However despite his title I doubt it comes cheap. I’d like them all but will write YES where I personally would like this, to help Chris prioritize (they are all valuable but I’m only allowed 4 votes)
02:57 04/06/2008,I’ve been at a meeting of research libraries here in Philadelphia these past two days; a topic that came up a bit was the sorts of services that libraries might offer individuals and research groups in managing their research collections. I was reminded about my post about internal Edinburgh proposals for an archive service, last year. Subsequent to that it struck me that there is quite a range of services that could be offered by some combination of Library and IT services; I mentioned some of these, and there seemed to be some resonance. There could well be more, but my list included:
- a managed current storage system with “guaranteed” backup, possibly related to the unit or department rather than individual PMR: YES
- a “bit bucket” archive for selected data files, to be kept in some sense as a record (perhaps representing some critical project phase) for extended periods, probably with mainly internal access (but possibly including access by external partners, ie “semi-internal”). Might conflate to… PMR: YES
- a data repository, which I would see as containing all or most data in support of publication. This would need to be static (the data supports the publication and should represent it), but might need to have some kind of managed external access. This might extend to… PMR: YES
- a full-blown digital preservation system, ie with some commitment to OAIS-type capabilities, keeping the data usable. As well as that we have the now customary (if not very full)…
- publications repository, or perhaps this might grow to be…
- a managed publications system providing support for joint development of papers and support for publication submission, and including retention & exposure of drafts or final versions as appropriate. PMR: YES
I really like the latter idea, which I have seen various references to. Perhaps we could persuade people to deposit if the cost of deposit was LESS than the cost of non-deposit. The negative-cost repository, I like that!
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