Institutional repositories | Scholarly communication | Student publications

by Stephanie Gross, Libraryblog On January 15, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Cover for latest issue of Women in Science 2018-2019. YU Office of Admission credit is given on back cover of the issue. This publication is used to promote Stern College for Women and its various programs and achievements in over 7 fields, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and Psychology.

In May of 2018, Yeshiva University Libraries launched YAIR, the official institutional repository, of Yeshiva University. The plan had been in the pipeline for several years. With the adoption of a new strategic plan, plans were quickly put into place. At the helm was Head of Library Web and Digital Services Hao Zeng, who chose a cost-effective, open source platform, D-Space, to host scholarly output of both faculty and students. Stephanie Gross, Scholarly Communication Librarian, took on the outreach and processing of material to be posted. Teamwork has been essential and has included collaboration with staff from Archives as well as Metadata Services.

The collection began primarily as an open-access showcase for both faculty publications and student theses and dissertations. The idea behind making all work open access is to allow scholars and researchers across the globe to read intellectual and creative output by Yeshiva University’s community without charge. As the project has progressed, other repository collections have been created. For instance, back issues of student publications have been scanned, annotated and posted. Some have been out-of-print (and out-of-view) for over decades. This summer, these publications were added: The Azrieli Papers, Gesher, Nahalah, Chronos, The YU Clarion, Derech HaTeva, Kol Hamevaser, The Orthodox Forum, Science and Ethics, The Exchange (SSSB), Horeb, Kol, Kol Hamevaser, Perspectives in Psychology, Prism,  Ten Da’at and Yeshiva University Undergraduate Research Abstracts. Consultations with faculty advisors and department chairs have provided positive feedback. Just recently, faculty members from the Sephardic Studies faculty as well as the Belz School of Music expressed interest in contributing articles and book chapters to the repository.

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