Photo by Jon Turner, TWU Library Assistant
Article by Amanda Zerangue with editing by Sandy Cochran
Texas Woman’s University (TWU) Libraries’ membership in the Texas Digital Library (TDL)
has been a catalyst for reinvigorated scholarly communication efforts at TWU.
Our initial plan as a new TDL member institution was comprised of transitioning our institutional repository, Repository@TWU, to the TDL. We widened our focus, however, once TWU faculty members learned of the suite of TDL services — and the library administration became aware of this enthusiastic response. TWU faculty members were delighted yet again in the Spring of 2017 as we initiated the simultaneous rollout of the TWU Data Repository, Open Journal Systems, Vireo, and the new Repository@TWU.
Our TDL membership, coupled with my new role as TWU’s Scholarly Communication Librarian, set the stage for a transformation of the scholarly communication services provided to our collective community by the TWU Libraries in Denton, Dallas, and Houston, Texas. Further, a foundation was formed for strong partnerships within the library system and with other TWU departments in support of these services.
Exemplifying this newly invigorated spirit of partnership and collaboration is our pilot Retrospective Dissertation Digitization Project. With a plan to digitize all TWU legacy dissertations, the project’s triple goals are to create a cohesive, accessible TWU dissertation collection in the Repository@TWU; increase worldwide usage of our dissertation collection; and showcase this scholarly output of TWU. Additionally, we envision strengthened connections with our alumni through marketing of this project as a service whereby we will provide a no-cost, scanned copy of each dissertation to its author. After a series of meetings with interested TWU faculty members; librarians from the libraries’ Reference, Special Collections, and Technical Services departments; and the University’s General Counsel, I am happy to report that we are ready to begin this pilot project in the TWU Department of English, Speech and Foreign Languages. The most exciting part for all involved? The concept of a project designed and positioned to simultaneously build both TWU working relationships and a comprehensive, organized, digitized TWU dissertation collection in the Repository@TWU.
also generating particular excitement among TWU faculty members are two TDL services — The TWU Data Repository and the TDL Electronic Journals — and the libraries’ pilot Vireo project. The newly completed TWU Data Repository will be marketed in a collaborative effort with the TWU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs using targeted outreach to faculty members who are also research grant recipients. Thankfully, the TDL Electronic Journals platform sells itself — faculty members in three TWU departments have already expressed interest in beginning the process of creating their own open access scholarly journals. In addition, the TWU Libraries and the TWU Graduate School are in the early stages of a joint Vireo pilot project in three TWU departments, with a plan to include all TWU departments by the Fall of 2017.
Joining forces with the Texas Digital Library — and the resulting supportive partnerships within the TWU Libraries and collaborations with TWU faculty members and other campus departments — became a driver for scholarly communication initiatives at Texas Woman’s University Libraries.
The TWU Libraries took huge scholarly-communication steps this semester, and look forward to continuing this momentum.