Archiving Local Collections Sustainably | DC Telegraph: Institutional Repository and Open Access Success Stories

"While faculty and students will always be at the core of a successful repository program, collections borne out of partnerships with organizations outside campus borders can also provide a rich source of content—often with little to no extra work on the library’s behalf. The University of Iowa’s repository, Iowa Research Online, experienced firsthand just how smooth the process could be through their collaboration with Little Village, a local arts and culture publication that features contributions from many faculty, students, and staff currently or previously affiliated with the University of Iowa. The free, alternative magazine began publishing and distributing print issues in July 2001. Recognizing Little Village’s cultural importance and deeply ingrained campus connection, University of Iowa Archivist David McCartney began collecting and storing the issues. In 2012, Little Village staff decided to archive digital copies and contacted the library’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives about using their scanner. Through this initial conversation, both parties discovered that University of Iowa currently was only one issue shy of having a complete run of Little Village back issues, and the scope of the collaboration quickly expanded. Recognizing the need for long-term preservation but lacking the platform to obtain it, Little Village editors were glad to accept the Libraries’ offer to publish the archives in Iowa Research Online after the missing issue was obtained ..."