No need to dive for this PEARL

Abstract

Ten years have passed since the University of Plymouth's open access research repository a.k.a. PEARL (Plymouth Electronic Archive and Research Library) was first set up. In this poster, we will reflect on the ups and downs in the life of our repository, from quiet beginnings to its current status as a core institutional resource, safeguarding the University's research outputs, theses and data. As PEARL enters its second decade, it would not be unreasonable to expect its existence, and that of the repository support team, to have mellowed into a contented humdrum of back office tasks. Instead, exciting new avenues are beginning to open. When we are not busy supporting REF OA compliance, we have started to take on entire collections of open access journals, published by the University staff and students, as a way to improve dissemination and ensure at least a basic level of preservation. External collections are migrating to PEARL and we are also exploring ways in which the repository could support the curation of rich-content digital collections. Much of this requires working in partnership with the academic community, as well as professional services colleagues across the institution, both listening to their needs and communicating the benefits of OA deposit, supported by increasingly sophisticated metrics. Stretching the repository to meet new requirements is also giving us the impetus to review the technology underpinning PEARL. The poster will reveal our plans for making PEARL shine like the gem that it is.