What is the YorkSpace institutional repository (IR)?

What is an IR community?

A YorkSpace "community" is a self-constituting group at York University that produces research, has a defined scope and can assume responsibility for setting community policies. Each community assigns a coordinator to work with York University Libraries staff to ensure that community adheres to the responsibilities outlined below.

What is an IR coordinator?

An IR coordinator is the primary contact for an IR community. This person liaises with York University Libraries and with members of the IR community. The IR coordinator manages the IR community by explaining policies and helping community members deposit their items.

What is the role of an IR community?

• Arrange for submission and description of content.
• Make decisions about community and collection definitions.
• Notify the York University Library of organizational changes affecting submissions.
• Reply to annual reconfirmation of community information.
• Understand and observe policies relevant to the IR, and educate community submitters regarding these policies.
• Clear copyright for items submitted.
• Decide upon a submission workflow for each collection.
• Decide policy regarding content to be submitted (within the parameters of the YorkSpace Content Guidelines).
• Decide who may submit content within the community.
• Remove items (as outlined in "Withdrawal Policy").

What is the role of York University Libraries?

• Determine if newly proposed user communities satisfy the criteria given above and authorize those that do.
• Ensure the continuation of key communities, especially by verifying the existence of a community coordinator.
• Retain and maintain content submitted to the IR.
• Preserve content using accepted preservation techniques.
• Notify communities of significant changes to content, e.g. format migration.
• Edit metadata assigned to the items placed in the IR.
• Train community coordinators to add materials.
• Maintain the content, software, and hardware.
• Refuse or de-accession items or Collections under certain circumstances - as outlined in "Withdrawal Policy".
• Migrate items if format is in danger of obsolescence.