New Roles, New Responsibilities: Examining Training Needs of Repository Staff

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Institutional Repositories play a critical role in the research lifecycle. Funding agencies are increasingly seeking an improved return on their investment in research. Repositories facilitate this process by providing storage of, and access to, institutional research outputs and more recently, research data. While repositories are generally managed within the academic library, repository staff require different skills and knowledge compared with traditional library roles. This study reports on a survey of Australasian institutional repository staff to identify skills and knowledge sets. METHODS Institutional repository staff working at universities in Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in an online survey which incorporated both open and closed-ended question types. RESULTS The survey found significant gaps in the provision of training and in formal coursework that echoed findings in the UK, Italy and the US. DISCUSSION There is clearly a need for more and varied training courses for repository professionals. Repository work requires a specific set of skills that can be difficult to find and institutions will benefit from investing in training and ongoing development opportunities for repository staff. CONCLUSION The survey data could be used to facilitate staff recruitment, development, training, and retention strategies.