Electronic Repositories for Preservation of Legal Scholarships

Priya Rai

doi:10.14429/djlit.34.6.6265

Priya Rai Deputy Librarian, National Law University Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi-110 078, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.34.6.6265

Keywords: Institutional repositories, open access, open access repositories

Abstract

The growth of electronic repositories (e-repositories) has been found remarkable in facilitating global open access to legal scholarship. Legal repositories are evolved as reference tool by the law schools to manage legal scholarship, working paper series, peer reviewed articles and other kinds of learning objects. These kinds of services; developed over a decade, improve the visibility and sustainability of scholarly produced literature, and help in winding information gaps between information rich and information poor researchers. The article traces the initiatives in support of open access to scholarly literature and examines how e-repositories improve communication access and bridges channels for legal scholarship. The article finds that certain primary crucial points like policy and standards, perceivable formats, accessibility and management of rights for digital materials, economic facts should be considered before implementing e-repositories. The study concludes that internationally there are number of initiatives supporting institutional and disciplinary repositories in support of legal scholarship, but lack in developing countries like India where no single law institution has approached the repository route of open access publishing.

http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/djlit.34.6.6265

Author Biography

Priya Rai, Deputy Librarian, National Law University Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi-110 078, India

Dr. Priya Rai, Deputy Librarian, National Law University, Delhi-110078. E mail: priyanlud@gmail.com

Dr. Priya Rai is the Deputy Librarian, National Law University, Delhi. She holds M. Phil and PhD in LIS form Banasthali University and qualified UGC NET. She also earned LL.B degree and PGDLAN. She is the recipient of FCIL Schaffer Grant from American Association of Law Libraries-2012 and Bitner Research Fellowship from Cornell University Law Library (USA). She has co-edited 08 books and published 12 research papers in referred journals and conferences and also the editor of National Law University Delhi Faculty Journal. Dr. Rai is also Consultant to various academic law libraries and Royal Supreme Court of Bhutan Library. She has more than 14 years of experience in academic University Libraries, earlier she worked in GGSIP University & Indian Law Institute, India. She has extensive interest and specialization in library automation, electronic retrieval and dissemination through open access and databases, e-resources training and associated with LII of India project. She is member of American Association of Law Libraries, International Association of Law Libraries, Delhi Library Association, Special Library Association and All Indian Media Library Association.