[Dspace-general] [Dspace-tech] Week 3: Good Repository Software

[Shane Beers]

In order to follow your directions and answer before reading other  
answers. Hopefully I have not duplicated many other responses:

In my view, good repository software should allow:
- Individuals to deposit materials in a straightforward and efficient  
manner, as to encourage the use of the repository to the widest  
possible audience. This requires more than just a customizable deposit  
process, as issues such as user permissions and security come into  
play. In my opinion, there should be some "dropbox" functionality so  
the repository manager does not have to go through a cumbersome  
account creation/approval process every time someone wishes to simply  
start using the repository.

- The repository manager to easily manage the data being deposited  
into the system. The manager should be able to do things such as:
* See a list of the last # deposits and the individual who deposited  
the item
* Perform long-term data management to support the life of the data in  
the repository, including viewing/sorting items based on their file  
format (and version) to determine if data migration needs to take place
* Modify the metadata of a large number of items at once, or the  
logical location of items within the repository without resorting to  
working directly with the database

- The repository manager to be able to easily manage the users of the  
system, by granting permissions to individual users that are both  
understandable (instead of confusing terms such as  
"COLLECTION_64_SUBMIT") and functional (for example, why can a  
collection admin not replace bitstreams?)

- The repository manager to easily view a wide array of data on the  
repository:
* unique visitors on a repository wide, collection/community wide, or  
individual item basis, while being able to collect results on a day/ 
week/month/year/etc
* downloads of items with the same granularity as visitors
* which users deposited which items and when

- The repository manager to modify the look and feel of the repository  
in a fairly straightforward manner, by having the ability to, for  
example, easily:
* Change header/footer graphics
* Change things like text/box colors
* Modify which metadata fields are displayed in which layouts
(I understand much of this is possible by modifying code, but not  
within the repository software front-end)

- Multiple types of data to be equally at home - audio, video,  
textual, etc. For example, audio and video could be streamed and  
playable from the repository directly, while textual materials could  
be browsed page-by-page from the repository.

- Users to find what they are looking for with search results that  
make sense and explain why their search resulted in the returned items.

Fundamentally, a repository should encourage users to deposit  
materials and help them easily locate materials they are looking for.  
It should allow the repository manager to easily manage data, users,  
view information about the repository, and modify the look and feel of  
the front-end. It should also be suited for the long-term storage and  
accessibility of the information that is deposited. I feel that a  
repository software should fulfill many (if not most/all) of the  
requirements in the OCLC's Digital Repository Certification program.

Certainly I'm asking for a perfect solution, but that's what you were  
hoping for, right?

Shane Beers
Digital Repository Services Librarian
George Mason University
sbeers at gmu.edu
http://mars.gmu.edu
703-993-3742



On Sep 1, 2008, at 6:04 PM, Dorothea Salo wrote:

> Sorry, all, I was on holiday and didn't think to set up this week's
> question in advance. (Also, since the statistics discussion is still
> ongoing, I'm waiting to summarize to the wiki until talk dies down. By
> all means keep talking!)
>
> This week's question sounds simple but isn't. What is good repository
> software? What does it allow us to do (both macro- and micro-level)?
> What do we accomplish with it?
>
> I'm going to ask that respondents please write their own answers
> before reading those of others! I would like to see some diversity of
> response. Feel free to respond directly to me if you feel
> uncomfortable answering on the list.
>
> I will moderate a chat on this topic in the DSpace IRC room (#dspace
> on irc.freenode.net) on Wednesday at 10 am Central, 11 Eastern, 4 pm
> GMT.
>
> Have at it!
>
> Dorothea
>
> -- 
> Dorothea Salo dsalo at library.wisc.edu
> Digital Repository Librarian AIM: mindsatuw
> University of Wisconsin
> Rm 218, Memorial Library
> (608) 262-5493
>
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