This article first defines what constitutes a "Special Collection" and what constitutes a "digital archival collection". Some background on the evolution of surrogate primary sources, from microfilm, through online databases to Open Access resources is presented. The article then explores the literature relating to the…

This article examines the structural disparities between the archives at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Michigan State University (MSU). While Nigerian archivists work to preserve their institutions' local content, they must contend with cultural and infrastructural constraints foreign to their American counterparts. To elucidate these…

This paper seeks to illuminate new perspectives on the concept of crisis in globalised higher education (HE) by focusing on knowledge generated by doctoral research. Doctoral research is a significant part of research and knowledge building in HE, particularly in science, and doctoral students contribute to the research capacity and knowledge…

In recent years, the opportunities for academic libraries to engage as a partner in digital initiatives in academia have expanded significantly. The traditional focus on digitization, preservation, and dissemination of collections has developed and shifted considerably, bringing new strategies for adequately serving the changed academic needs, as…

The article explores the recent experiences encountered by the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) Library, Zimbabwe in the daily operations of its institutional repository (IR) with emphasis on security and ethical issues. It examines the present scenario in the management of the IR. BUSE Library set up an IR to archive and enable…

This Proceedings document begins with the text of the keynote by Dr. Michelle Caswell, followed by seven papers, representing a sampling of the symposium presentations from the 2022 Digitizing Hidden Collections (DHC) Symposium, a capstone event for the Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program. This program was funded by the…

In 2013-2014, Brooks Library at Central Washington University (CWU) launched library content in three systems: a digital asset-management system, an institutional repository (IR), and a web-based discovery layer. In early 2014, the archives at the library began to use these systems to disseminate media recently digitized from legacy formats. As…

The desire of academic institutions to link up to the virtual repository is a global phenomenon. Traditional scholarly publication through established journals characterized by peer review is being challenged by less formal net-based communication that links scholars essentially instantaneously. The contention is that universities need to preserve…

Over the past 20 years, university libraries have developed and manage institutional repositories--digital libraries that provide free, public access to the research, scholarship, and publications of their university's faculty, staff, and students. Although underused by Extension professionals, institutional repositories are powerful tools that…

This study was carried out to ascertain the attitudes of academics concerning the utilization of institutional repositories (IRs) in Nigerian universities. The study took the form of a descriptive survey, gathering data from the five Nigerian universities with IRs. The result showed that the universities developed IRs to create a forum for their…

Ten scholarly papers and twelve abstracts comprise the content of the twenty-first annual Brick & Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The twenty-first Brick & Click Libraries Conference was held virtually. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at…

The quality of research depends greatly on access to existing information. Institutional repositories (IRs) have the potential to enhance and promote the dissemination of knowledge and research. This may lead to discoveries and innovation alongside maximizing return on investment in research and development. Following some background information,…

"Research Library Issues" ("RLI") focuses on current and emerging topics that are strategically important to research libraries. The articles explore issues, share information, pose critical questions, and provide examples. This issue includes the following articles: (1) Issue on the Transformation of Scholarly Communications…

Federal mandates requiring that publicly funded research be made openly accessible recast scholarly information as public information and provide an impetus to join the efforts of scholarly communication and government information programs in United States research libraries. Most major research libraries are long-standing participants in the…

The use of Open Education Resources represents a noble cause, but the idea often remains elusive for many faculty members. In 2015, librarians at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, implemented a campaign to promote and facilitate the use and development of OERs. The primary objective was to reduce the growing…