Principles and Advantages of Implementing an Institutional Repository in the Libraries of Higher Education Institutions (on the Example of the Lutsk Pedagogical College of the Volyn Regional Council)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to define the basic principles of electronic repository efficiency, to study the experience and advantages of implementing an institutional repository in a higher education establishment, and to investigate the problems faced by users in the process of working with an institutional repository. The research methods are based on analysis and synthesis, which made it possible to summarize previous scientific works on the problem under study and draw independent conclusions. The paper also uses the method of a sociological survey in the form of a questionnaire to identify the problems that users face when working with a repository. The scientific novelty of the article is to clarify the basic principles of implementing an electronic repository system by libraries of higher education establishments; to study the advantages of an institutional repository as opposed to library collections and archives. The use of a sociological survey in the form of a questionnaire made it possible to identify some difficulties and shortcomings of the institutional repository. Conclusions. The basic principles and specific recommendations for the design of the electronic repository system, which were taken into account during the implementation of the institutional repository of the Lutsk Pedagogical College of the Volyn Regional Council, were determined. The importance of conducting a sociological survey at the initial stages of the institutional repository to study the users’ requirements and create a quality information product was revealed. Among the difficulties encountered by users and shortcomings in the work of the repository were the following: scanning of published documents (in some cases); lack of full-text documents; entering metadata, and keywords; inability to automatically download publications from Google Scholar; time resources required to download publications. The survey provided feedback from users, helped to identify the needs of authors and users, set clear goals and objectives for the institutional repository, and promoted the use of open sources. Despite certain shortcomings, the institutional repository is an effective tool for the informatization of modern library services. It has been established that the efficient operation of an institutional repository ensures the development of scientific and educational activities at a higher education establishment.