The National Library of Armenia (NLA) has established a new open access repository using DSpace software, thanks to the support of the Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL). The new repository will improve access to the NLA's digital materials, which include open access Armenian theses and dissertations, books, and the Bulletin of Armenian Libraries.
The repository will form part of the national open science infrastructure currently under development by the Ministry of Education and Science, which is also drafting a national open science policy. With the implementation of DSpace 7.3, the NLA has become a leader in the development and use of institutional repositories in Armenia.
To populate the new repository, a team of seven NLA librarians is transferring thousands of digital files, including theses, dissertations, and abstracts from a previous repository to the new DSpace repository. The NLA is also adding their own publications as well as Armenian books that are out of copyright.
The NLA organized workshops for librarians to further encourage the development of open access repositories in Armenian institutions. A two-day workshop on management of institutional open access repositories using DSpace software was held for 24 librarians from MINERVA project partner institutions that already have DSpace open access repositories. The NLA now acts as a consultation center on DSpace 7 for all institutions in Armenia that use DSpace, are in the process of installing DSpace, or who plan to form institutional repositories.
The NLA's new repository currently contains almost 2,000 items, with the number growing day by day. The establishment of the new open access repository in Armenia is a significant step forward in improving access to academic materials and promoting open science in the country.
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