v31#6 Biz of Digital — Transitioning to a New IR Platform - Against the Grain

"In August 2017, Elsevier purchased Digital Commons-bepress, motivating numerous institutions to explore and commit to options for leaving the popular institutional repository (IR) platform.  The purchase took place soon after the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Library decided to migrate from Digital Commons to a new IR platform.  At the time the OHSU Library’s collections were primarily composed of electronic theses and dissertations, digitized historical materials, and one faculty supported journal of student work.  We have about 10,000 items total in our collections and add about 200 additional items a year on average. Samvera, HP Trim, Alma Digital, Alfresco, and Extensis were all discussed as possible replacements for Digital Commons, however, Samvera was selected.  Factors driving this decision, included requirements for displaying Historical Collections & Archives materials and a desire to invest in and contribute to an open source system. This article will describe several of the challenges the Library experienced during the process and the accompanying planning that occurred as a result of the move.  Repository functions are a core function of the services the library offers to the OHSU community.  Digital collections should serve as a showcase for the library’s expertise in preservation, discoverability, metadata quality, and attract new audiences to the work happening at OHSU. ..."