EPrints makes its mark

Abstract

Purpose — To report on the impact and cost/benefit of implementing three EPrints digital repositories at the University of Otago, and to encourage others to follow suit.

Design/methodology/approach — Three repositories were successfully implemented at the University of Otago using existing commodity hardware and free open source software. The first pilot repository was implemented within ten days, and is now a fully-functional system that is being championed for institutional-wide use by the University Library. The other two repositories emerged from different community needs. One is academic, concerned with collecting and researching indigenous content; the other is designed to preserve and manage collective memory and heritage content for a small rural community.

Findings — Digital repositories can: • be established quickly and effectively with surprisingly few resources; • readily incorporate any kind of extant digital content, or non-digital material that is converted to electronic form; • meet multifarious needs, from academic institutions seeking to enhance research visibility and impact, to individuals and small communities collecting and preserving their unique memory and heritage records; and • establish connectivity with the global community from the moment they go live.

Practical implications — The technology and global support community have matured to a state where a fully-featured repository can be quickly and easily implemented.

Originality/value — This article describes the short history, development and impact of the first live repositories of their kind in New Zealand. Their utility and implications for the unique communities that have given rise to them are also explored, by way of encouraging others to take up the digital challenge.