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Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS)

Repositories

OLIS provides two open access environments to SUNY campuses.

SUNY Open Access Repository (SOAR)

SOAR is a centrally managed online digital repository that stores, indexes, and makes available scholarly and creative works of SUNY faculty, students, and staff across SUNY campuses. SOAR serves as an open access platform for those SUNY campuses that do not have their own open access repository environments. It supplements rather than supplants local SUNY campus repositories. More information is available at the SOAR Content Guidelines.

SUNY Digital Repository (SDR)

SDR is a centrally managed repository that includes collections from approximately 40 campus and SUNY System Administration. It differs from the SUNY Open Access Repository (SOAR) in that its content covers a broad range of topics with a strong focus on local campus archival and special collections. This repository is also used to house Open Educational Resources (OER).

Structure

Both repositories are built on the DSpace platform. The Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) works with the registered DSpace Service Provider Atmire to provide hosting and technical support. SOAR is based on a version of DSpace called Open Repository, which provides for enhanced statistics, author profiles, integration with 3rd party services, and more powerful tools for administrators. The SDR is based on a version called DSpace Express which provides a basic affordable full service repository.

Characteristics of both repositories

  • Allow for the creation of communities, sub-communities and collections
  • Records for items representing content are housed in collections which can be linked to either communities or sub-communities
  • Item records in one collection can be linked to other collections so that the content can appear in multiple collections
  • Dublin Core metadata schema is used for describing content
  • Web interface is used by authorized contributors to add items to collections
  • Creative Commons licenses can be assigned to content
  • While various file formats are supported, the most common are PDF, Word, JPEG, MPEG, and TIFF files
  • Players are not provided for either audio or video content at this time
  • Due to their large size, contributors are asked to store video files in YouTube or other types of streaming services; links in item records can be added for accessing these videos