Training Repository Staff
Professional library organisations such as CILIP also offer frequent training courses on issues such as metadata and copyright, as well as other 'soft' skills such as management, change management and assertiveness, which can be applied to benefit the role of the repository manager.
As with all jobs, the roles of the Repository Manager and Administrator will require a certain amount of training, depending on individual experience and qualifications.
Experience of library systems, metadata and copyright are all an advantage to a repository manager or administrator. Technical skills and knowledge of repository systems are also an advantage. Repository software suppliers (open-source or commercial) should be able to provide technical training, and projects such as the Repositories Support Project (RSP) and the United Kingdom Council of Research Repositories (UKCoRR) can provide support and share best practice.
Training should enable:
- staff to use the repository
- authors to deposit material
- repository staff to design and specify the repository
- repository staff to manage the repository
- technical support staff to implement designs and requests
- technical support staff to integrate the repository with your local information environment
Staff who will be contributing learning and teaching materials to an institutional repository are likely to require training in content development, metadata, Intellectual Property Rights, licensing, deposit processes and workflow. Repository staff may need to develop a good understanding of the teaching and learning process, and the pedagogical context of materials. An effective two way communication flow between academics and repository may be supported by in-house training that takes account of institution specific policies and approaches.
