At the centre: a box full of encounters

Abstract

OR2012 in Scotland coincides with the celebrations for the 600th anniversary of the founding of the University of St Andrews. We describe the shared and collaborative repository infrastructure and services which are being progressively embedded into our university research environment. By 1410 the time had come to establish a seat of learning, of international standing, in Scotland. The mechanisms and technology which underpin scholarly communication may have changed dramatically over 600 years but the need to communicate that research is as strong as ever. In the past decade we have seen local and separate repository services and research information systems within our institution develop synergies and interdependencies. Once these services become coordinated at institutional level then they transform into a much more powerful tool to serve up local content on a global scale and to provide real impact. Our experience demonstrates that there is no “best” model to embed repository services or to achieve that collaborative infrastructure. Rather that model evolves by adapting and linking the initial core services. This is a DSpace repository and e-theses service, now closely linked to a PURE CRIS. Key services built on top are our Journal Hosting service (OJS), a strong emphasis on funder mandate compliance and open access advocacy and support. Our services are as much about the discovery of skills and knowledge within our own institution and amongst our own support staff and researchers as they are about the wider outreach and global discovery of our research.