Western CEDAR repository to open this fall; info sessions to be held June 4

In October, Western Washington University will officially launch an institutional repository, locally named Western CEDAR, that will collect, organize, manage and disseminate the university’s intellectual output from a single web interface, free to users anywhere in the world. A partnership among the Provost’s Office, Graduate School, Research and Sponsored Programs and Western Libraries, CEDAR will showcase faculty and student research as well as Western’s history and distinct programs and projects.

By adopting Digital Commons as Western’s web-based software system, researchers will be able to create individual web pages to present their published and unpublished work. Departments, Centers, etc. will be able to disseminate organizational accomplishments (such as reports, papers, datasets, conference proceedings, etc.), and people interested in open access publishing will have an outstanding tool to manage the editorial process and to publish the completed issues. The Libraries will take a leadership role in managing CEDAR day to day, teaching faculty, staff, and students about the software’s many capabilities, and educating them on their intellectual property rights and responsibilities.

Western Libraries, in conjunction with representatives from Bepress will host three upcoming sessions on June 4 for members of the campus community to learn more about CEDAR:

9 to 10 a.m., Haggard Hall 232 - Introduction to Institutional Repositories, Open Access, Digital Commons, and Western CEDAR

This session will provide a brief introduction to Western CEDAR and plans for the repository, followed by an introduction to open access as a movement, the history and development of institutional repositories, and the basic values and functionality of Digital Commons and SelectedWorks.  This session is designed for a general audience, including campus faculty, staff, administrators and students.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Haggard Hall 232 - SelectedWorks (individual faculty research pages)

This session is specifically intended for campus faculty to learn more about how to submit, upload, post, and connect to SelectedWorks sites, and will also include an example walk-through of how to build an individual research page.  

4 to 5 p.m., Library Presentation Room, Wilson 164F - Repository Collection Development: An Inclusive, Partnership-based Approach

This session will explore CEDAR as a digital asset management service and the process of developing robust, relevant collections with campus partners. It will cover types of collections, examples, and use individual stories to highlight the collaborative, service-oriented nature of the work.  Time for questions and brainstorming will be included.  This session is designed for a general audience, including campus faculty, staff, administrators, and students.

For questions about these info sessions, contact Kim.Marsicek@wwu.edu.

To learn more about CEDAR, see the presentation CEDAR: An Introduction to Western’s New Institutional Repository.