Roles and Responsibilities of Library Professionals in Managing Open- access Institutional Repositories
Sindhu PN, Kishore Kumar S
International Journal of Information Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6025/ijis/2025/17/1/7-15
Link: https://www.dline.info/ijis/fulltext/v17n1/ijisv17n1_2.pdf
Abstract:
Institutional repositories (IRs) have become indispensable platforms for academic institutions to preserve,
disseminate, and promote open access to scholarly outputs. Managed by library professionals, IRs play a
crucial role in advancing scholarly communication by facilitating global access to research articles, theses,
datasets, and other scholarly materials. This article examines library professionals' pivotal roles and
responsibilities in managing open-access IRs. Key responsibilities include content acquisition and
management, technical infrastructure maintenance, policy development and compliance, user support and
training, and promotion and advocacy. Library professionals ensure the acquisition and organisation of
scholarly content while adhering to copyright regulations and metadata standards to enhance
discoverability. They collaborate with IT specialists to maintain secure and user-friendly repository
platforms, implement policies to govern content submission and access and provide user support through
workshops and consultations. By advocating for open-access principles and promoting repository use,
librarians enhance institutional research's visibility and impact. Despite resource constraints and copyright
complexities, library professionals innovate to meet evolving technological and scholarly needs, ensuring
the long-term preservation and accessibility of scholarly knowledge through IRs.