If We Build It, Will They Come (Eventually)? : Scholarly Communication and Institutional Repositories

Abstract

Specialists in serials have been dealing with the effects of an imbalance in the scholarly communication process for some time. The increase in scholarly output coupled with the decreasing ability of libraries to provide access to that output due to spiralling journal costs has created tensions for libraries and their communities. By advocating and providing a means to provide open access to scholarly output, institutional repositories have been promoted as one strategy for redefining the scholarly communication model. The University of Oregon libraries have been exploring this approach since April 2003. The presentation will discuss the challenges and opportunities that such repositories face at the University of Oregon and around the world and examine the efficacy of such repositories for changing the nature of scholarly communication.