Academic libraries and institutional digital repositories: tasks and new roles

Abstract

The transformations occurring in the scientific communications have affected all researchers, scientists and academicians. This has lead to a change in opinions and strategies within universities and research institutions. These changes include the roles played by academic libraries and their adoption of the information Open Access movement which opens alternative channels for the dissemination of traditional scientific research and academic studies. One of the most important channels is Institutional Repositories (IR), an important mechanism for the Open Publishing, which is regarded by those in favour of Open Access as a tool for promotion they use to increase access to digital publications. The aim of this study is to bring out the role of the academic libraries in the contribution of building and supporting institutional repositories. It is also aimed at bringing in developed services and new forms of researchers and faculty members’ support in the Open Access era which will make academic libraries more beneficial and important than ever.

Keywords: Open Access movement, institutional repositories, academic libraries, role of librarians