Creating an Institutional Repository for State Government Digital Publications

• Main Authors: Meikiu Lo, Leah M. Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Code4Lib 2010-03-01
• Series: Code4Lib Journal
• Online Access: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2563

In 2008, the Library of Virginia (LVA) selected the digital asset management system DigiTool to host a centralized collection of digital state government publications. The Virginia state digital repository targets three primary user groups: state agencies, depository libraries and the general public. DigiTool's ability to create depositor profiles for individual agencies to submit their publications, its integration with the Aleph ILS, and product support by ExLibris were primary factors in its selection. As a smaller institution, however, LVA lacked the internal resources to take full advantage of DigiTool's full set of features. The process of cataloging a heterogenous collection of state documents also proved to be a challenge within DigiTool. This article takes a retrospective look at what worked, what did not, and what could have been done to improve the experience.