CPUT Libraries Digital Platforms: Adding Value to Teaching, Learning and Research

Abstract

Over the past years CPUT libraries has been at the forefront of meeting the institutions expressed needs around Teaching, Learning and Research and have invested in systems that really address those needs and add value. Recently, the library has purchased ALMA, a cloud-based Library management system to replace the aging Aleph system. Primo VE, the discovery tool was also purchased to assist users in finding resources in ALMA, the Institutional Repository, and Databases etc. To further assist Researchers and Academics, CPUT libraries have developed Open Source systems which can raise the profiles of Researchers by making the research outputs visible to the rest of the world. Therefore, the Institutional repository plays an important role in showcasing research outputs and archiving such for perpetuity. Researchers need a place to store their data and the library identified this need and started to develop a system for Research data management ie. MediaTUM and now also investigating FigShare. Open Access and Scholarly publishing have become new areas for the academic library mainly due to the increased costs of subscription journals and the article costs charged by publishers to make available research articles, paid by public funds. CPUT libraries have embraced scholarly publishing and have used Open source software to develop a scholarly publishing platform (OJS) where researchers can publish their journals articles. All the initiatives undertaken by the library have successfully positioned itself in the centre of the institution’s Research mandate.