Document Type

Presentation

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Publication Date

4-15-2026

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

One major advantage of Digital Commons is that it's more than just software -- it's also service. Having a dedicated consultant allows institutions with limited IR staffing to enlist their consultant in helping to train other units across campus how to use the system to their maximum benefit. This not only helps to distribute the workload, it also encourages buy-in and a sense of ownership by the campus partners, so that they are invested in the vibrancy and impact of the repository.

At the University of San Diego, as we conducted more and more outreach to engage a variety of on-campus stakeholders, we found it difficult to keep up with the level of interest that was generated. Working with one unit quickly turned into two, then three, then continued to multiply at a fast pace. Fortunately, we were able to tap our consultant, Kelly, for assistance. When we onboard new collections, Kelly is available to conduct overviews and trainings for the administrators, providing another line of support in our staffing workflow.

Today, our repository excels at breadth; that is, we have a wide (and continually growing) variety of collections from many different parts of campus. In addition to our "bread and butter" (archival and special collections materials & student and faculty work), we host content from all the different schools (Arts & Sciences; Engineering; Business; Education and Leadership Sciences; Peace; Nursing; Law) as well as open access journals and materials produced by centers such as the Nonprofit Institute, Humanities Center, and the Provost's Office.

We view our role as one of support and connection, helping repository users understand what the system offers and how to leverage its potential, and ultimately we encourage depositers to see themselves as co-owners in both the process and product. The repository exists as it does today because of their participation, and they actively shape its direction through hands-on involvement.

Notes

Presentation at the 2026 Elsevier Impact Conference, San Diego, CA.

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