Open AccessIntriguing New Model for Improved Visibility and Access to Theses and Dissertations
Author(s) -
Chelsea Johnston,
JA Russell
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.5703/1288284317199
Subject(s) - discoverability , digitization , metadata , scholarly communication , world wide web , library science , leverage (statistics) , digital library , service (business) , computer science , dspace , business , political science , public relations , telecommunications , marketing , art , literature , poetry , algorithm , publishing , machine learning , law
The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida (UF) areparticipating in an innovative program to explore whether making electronic theses anddissertations (ETDs) available in print through online retail sites can have positiveimpacts for graduates, the University, and the general public. Digitization and metadataenhancement have improved discoverability and ease of access for ETDs in theInstitutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF). However, through this newprogram, research can be shared widely beyond academe with practitioners, corporateresearchers, independent scholars, and international readers. This paper will describehow the Smathers Libraries have worked with a corporate partner, BiblioLabs, to leverageonline retailers’ discovery engines to promote print versions of ETDs while alertingreaders to the free digital versions available in the IR@UF. This paper will also sharehow alumni, current graduate students, and other campus stakeholders have responded tothe pilot of this new service. The Libraries are monitoring referred traffic to the IRand sales data. UF is the first university to contribute content to this effort, but weexpect others to follow suit if the data supports the expectations of the University,the Libraries, and our graduates.