Going deeper: the case for multiple repositories at UChicago

As US institutions look to how institutional data repositories can help meet federal funder data access requirements, we are also considering the purpose of repositories beyond compliance. If we are doing more than ticking boxes, does a generalist repository really meet our needs, or most importantly, the needs of those we want to find, and use our data? With the receipt of NEH funding for the UChicago Node project, the Library is hosting three repositories at UChicago—Node and Unbound as specialist repositories and data infrastructure and the institutional repository supporting public access to research. Many institutions find themselves in a similar situations. This paper explains why this approach currently makes sense, while considering the future and what might trigger a rethink of approach. UChicago Node builds on the long-standing OCHRE data service, developed to support the humanities division. With Node expanding and scaling this to the management of Library collections as data, and for initiatives across campus, we're exploring three questions, the current answers for which we believe are of interest to any institution that finds itself managing multiple repositories: - Can a single repository meet all of an institution's needs? - If not, why not? - If not now, then when?