The unique value of cultural heritage has long been recognized together with the need for accurate and detailed information in order to preserve and manage cultural heritage material. Any organization whose mission includes promoting access to information is aware of the value of digital collections. For the last few years, digital technology has become very familiar in cultural organizations, providing enhanced access to the content. This paper gives information about Ktisis (http://ktisis.cut.ac.cy), the institutional repository of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). Ktisis was developed by the Library and Information Services of CUT. The paper reflects on the technical issues that the Library had to face in the preparation of this project and the strategy that had to be defined in order to tackle them. Such issues, among others, include the file and metadata format, the design and implementation software, etc.

1. Ktisis: Building an Open Access
Institutional and Cultural Repository
Alexia Kounoudes, Petros Artemi, Marios Zervas
Library and Information Services, Cyprus University of Technology
EUROMED 2010, November 8-13, 2010

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Why do libraries undertake digitization projects?
Preservation of original content
Wide access to researchers and the public
Access to various material types: text, photographs, manuscripts, audio, etc
Preservation of fragile, rare, unique material
Institution profile is raised as worldwide users access its collections
Cyprus University of Technology Library decision based on:
1. Library’s major goal to contribute to the cultural evolution of Cyprus
2. The directions of the European University Association:
“all European Universities should create institutional repositories and should mandate that all
research publications must be deposited in them immediately upon publication (and made Open
access as soon as possible thereafter)”

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The Ktisis project
• Ktisis is an open access institutional repository
• http://ktisis.cut.ac.cy
• Goals:
1. To locate and archive cultural heritage material
2. To guarantee long term preservation and access to data
3. To promote interest and involvement in the digitization process
4. To promote open access at the Cyprus University of Technology

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Software selection
•Directions of DRIVER for the selection of software platform
•Driver Repository Infrastructure Vision for European Research
•Objective is to establish a cohesive pan-European infrastructure of Digital Repositories
•More information on http://www.driver-repository.eu/
•The Library decided to use the open source software DSpace for the development of
Ktisis

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Software selection - DSpace
•Open source software platform
•Developed by MIT Libraries and Hewlett-Packard
•Enables open sharing of content
•Compatible with the OAI-PMH protocol for metadata harvesting
•Enables capturing the data in any format – text, audio, video, etc.
•Digital content is indexed so users can search and retrieve the material
•It distributes the digital content over the WWW
•It preserves the material over the long term
•Can be downloaded and used free of charge
•DSpace repositories gain exposure through search engines such as Google
•DSpace website: http://www.dspace.org/

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Data processing
•Images are scanned and stored in JPEG
•Watermarking procedure
•Creation of the metadata
•The Dublin Core metadata element set is used
•DSpace uses Dublin Core by default
•DSpace provides the functionality to create different DC metadata schemas for different types of material
•DSpace provides capability to define copyright
•Ktisis provides the option to choose and apply one of the available Creative Commons licenses

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Creative Commons Licenses
• CC licenses allow the creators to define the rights of their work
• Creative Commons is a non-profit organization
• Dedicated to making it easier for creators to share and build upon the work of others,
consistent with the rules of copyright
• They apply to all works protected by copyright such as books, photos, movies, etc.

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Example of a Creative Commons license as shown in Ktisis records

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Statistics of use for the year 2009
• 20000 users visited Ktisis
• Average number of visitors per month = 1750
• 24% bouncing rate
• Traffic visitors
• 1300 visitors accessed Ktisis directly
• 5000 visitors accessed Ktisis through referring sites
• The rest of the visitors accessed Ktisis through search engines

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Statistics of use for the year 2009

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Conclusions
1. Building an institutional repository requires gathering people with different skills and
knowledge
2. Development requires a lot of time
3. Libraries with limited resources need to be creative and persistent
4. Careful planning is necessary
5. Good planning pays off
6. Repository storage needs to be planned in advance

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Future Work
1. Contribute to the KYPRIANA program
• KYPRIANA is a collaboration between Cyprus organizations
• Aim is to contribute in a coordinated way in the growth of European
• Library plans to actively participate and promote open access through Kypriana
2. Make Ktisis data compatible to Europeana requirements
• Europeana does not support Dublin Core but the Europeana Semantics elements schema
• Application of plug-in developed on the basis of EuropeanaLocal
3. Acquire and digitize new material
• Library staff are volunteers on the Patticheion Historical Archive-Museum and Centre of Studies
• Library provides the technical know-how in order to help the Centre elevate its collections
• Encourage owners of cultural heritage material to donate their collections
• Library willing to digitize these items and make them accessible to the public

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Thank you!
Alexia Dini Kounoudes
Library and Information Services
Cyprus University of Technology
Email: alexia.kounoudes@cut.ac.cy
Tel: 00357 - 25002568