Strategies for Promoting an Institutional Repository at the University of Cape Coast (UCCSpace), Ghana

Abstract

A key attribute to the academic environment is the value given to research due to its enormous benefits to both the researcher and the institution’s knowledge creation. As research output increases in volume, libraries are required to have substantial support systems to manage and make access to these collections available to its users. Institutional Repositories (IRs) are library initiatives that aim at providing a digital embodiment for the management, preservation and dissemination of the intellectual work of the institution. Promoting these intellectual outputs on library’s IRs has been found to be very important in providing sustainable and proactive library services. The purpose of this study was to find out how Sam Jonah Library is promoting its institutional repository in order to increase the institution’s visibility worldwide. Questionnaires were the main data collection instrument used for the study. The findings revealed that the study participants were fully aware of the benefits of IRs in promoting institutional intellectual output. Some of the challenges that hindered the success of promoting IRs were the lack of a policy to help in its operation, lack of funds, lack of technical staff, apathy from staff, lack of training and lack of knowledge on the tools and practices.

Keywords: Institutional Repository, Promoting, Research Output, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Uccspace, Sam Jonah Library

View PDF