The Baylor University Libraries are using the DSpace (developed by MIT and Hewlett Packard) open source software to build and maintain a repository of research that has been produced by scholars at Baylor University. This service has been named BEARdocs (Baylor Electronically Accessible Research Documents)

Some basic features of BEARdocs include:

• The support of multiple communities and collections to fit the needs of any departments on campus.
• The support of tailored submission processes for each collection so that submissions can be reviewed (if appropriate) and metadata assigned before the item becomes available in BEARdocs.
• The support of a wide variety of digital formats.
• The long-term preservation of specified digital objects in BEARdocs.
• The use of metadata to provide rich descriptive information for each item held in BEARdocs.
• The ability to both browse or search the BEARdocs collections.
• The accessibility of BEARdocs to research harvesters, such as OAIster.
• Accessiblity options, including complete open access to documents or limited access, depending on the needs of the individual authors.

Projects currently being maintained in BEARdocs include:

• Economics Department Working Papers Series
• Electronic Theses and Dissertations
• CASPER papers

If you are a Baylor researcher who wants to contribute content to BEARdocs, or if you are a member of a Baylor Department that is interested in setting up a community in BEARdocs, please contact Billie Peterson-Lugo (Billie_Peterson@baylor.edu or 254.710.2344).