The Institutional Repository (IR) has become standard to the academic library in the past decade. In fact, some 5,000 are listed in open access directories. However, IR operations are anything but standard. You are not alone in your challenges, whether it’s discovery of born-digital content or policies for deposit and withdrawal. This resource gathers expertise to offer a comprehensive guide on contemporary institutional repository management. Readers will sharpen their understanding of such key IR topics as

• managing complexity task-by-task using a detailed breakdown of IR projects;
• six crucial elements every deposit policy should address;
• using the SHERPA RoMEO database to quickly locate publisher policies;
• policy development, community outreach, and open source software testing, illuminated through case studies;
• metadata basics for the non-cataloger;
• authority control for electronic theses, dissertations, and grey literature;
• workflow suggestions for small and mid-sized institutions;
• showcasing undergraduates’ work with student peer-reviewed journals, photography, or theater performances;
• promoting faculty engagement with awards and recognition; and
• copyright fundamentals all staff who interact with the IR should know.

Institutional Repositories manage and preserve an institution’s own content. Since their introduction over 25 years ago, Institutional Repositories have been established in universities and institutions around the world. Yet many people, even within the scholarly world, are unaware of the work that repositories carry out, and the essential role they play. Institutional Repositories is a much-needed guide to repositories, past and present. Written by a repository manager and trainer, this fully peer-reviewed book assumes no prior knowledge, and guides the reader through all the activities carried out by the repository team, including (but not limited to) ensuring green Open Access, and ensuring maximum impact for the institution’s research output, as well as providing a collective memory for the organization, often capturing content that would otherwise be lost.

• Wide-ranging, from staffing and managing the repository, to accessibility, preservation, and metadata
• Includes practical guidance for the daily tasks carried out by repository staff
• Compares national repository strategies
• With glossary of repository-related terms

Cromwell achieves something rare: a book that is comprehensive, detailed, readable, and useful all at once. He understands the benefits and untapped potential of the global network of open-access repositories, and offers practical advice for taking full advantage of this community-led infrastructure. Recommended for all institutions hosting or planning to host a repository.

Peter Suber, Director of the Harvard Open Access Project