------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: geospatial data in institutional repositories?
Date:   Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:11:42 -0400
From:   Jeff Essic <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
<[log in to unmask]>



Katie,

Our institutional repository involves a collaboration between campus IT,
the graduate school, and the Libraries.  We're still very much feeling
our way through it, but if someone wants to contribute geospatial data,
we will definitely accept it.  During our multi-year work of examining
best practices for geospatial data archiving, we decided the best
approach for storing the data is to maintain it in a common folder/file
structure rather than to try to ingest it into repository software.  So
for the present time, if someone wants to contribute their data, we'll
copy it to our file server and add the pertinent record(s) to our online
catalog.

I've had a few graduate students express interest in contributing their
data.  The problem has always been the lack of metadata.  I've offered
everything... I would help them create the metadata, or just send me
what you know or tell me over the phone, and I'll make the metadata.
   But once the students see the end of the tunnel (ie: finishing their
work and moving on), contributing their data is a low priority.
   Granted, I haven't been begging, given the extra surge of work that
could come, but I do occasionally hint to students and faculty that they
should do this.  So far, the grant requirements seem to be still too new
to have brought any geospatial content our way.

Jeff

--------------------------------------------------
Jeff Essic, Data Services Librarian
North Carolina State University
D.H. Hill Library, Research & Information Services
Box 7111, Raleigh, NC  27695-7111
(919) 515-5698
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/gis