Corralling the Independent Spirit of Texas Libraries to Re-envision a Collaborative Statewide Digital Library

Session Type: Presentation

Session Description
Without direct state funding and building on the initial vision and successes of a state-wide organization of academic libraries, the Texas Digital Library (TDL) is embarking on a new phase of reflection and growth. As a new organization in the mid-decade, TDL partnered with founding member institution, Texas A&M to create VIREO, an open source electronic theses and dissertation workflow management system, and provided DSpace repositories and other scholarly publishing services. Currently, we leverage partnerships with DPN, PKP, DuraSpace, TACC, and LEARN to insure consistent high-quality digital library solutions that “raise all boats” in a wide range of academic institutions in Texas.

Responding to the needs of a diverse constituency in terms of size, resources, funding, and mission, TDL is redoubling its efforts to engage its membership to address common needs of preservation, access, scholarly publishing, and community-building. TDL is a hub for various digital library communities, including the state’s DSpace users and a growing nationwide base of Vireo users. Our communities also provide training, workshops, and the annual Texas Conference on Digital Libraries. They serve as a platform for mutual support, knowledge sharing, and standards development and augment the skills of a lean but nimble TDL staff.

Panelists will include representatives from TDL member institutions as well as the organization’s newly appointed executive director. This group will present the high level challenges of coordinating efforts across institutions and discuss how the community is organized and the return on investment.

Session Leaders
Debra Hanken Kurtz, Texas Digital Library
Sarah Potvin, Texas A&M University Libraries
Mira Greene, Moody Medical Library, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Billie Peterson-Lugo, Baylor University Libraries
Laura Hammons, Texas A&M University
Dana Rooks, University of Houston Libraries
Amy Rushing, University of Texas Libraries

View the community reporting Google doc of this session.