Having chosen to work with DSpace, this was downloaded and installed on the
repository server in May 2005. It has proved to be an excellent choice in terms of the
flexibility and functionality it offers and maintaining the software has required
minimal staff time. Over the course of the year, the Library’s Systems Team have
overseen the successful implementation of OAI-PMH; the installation of the ‘Handle’
server and an upgrade to version 1.3, and then 1.4 in Summer 2006, of the software.
The Handle System® is provided by the Corporation of National Research Initiatives
(CNRI) and is “a general purpose distributed information system that provides
efficient, extensible, and secure identifier and resolution services for use on networks
such as the Internet” (http://www.handle.net/). The system provides Uniform
Resource Identifiers (URIs) for each record within DSpace for participating
institutions. We have been able to customise the software, using images from the
University’s Media Services’ image bank and departmental logos and this has enabled
us to brand the service clearly as the Loughborough University Institutional
Repository as was seen in Figure 1.