Making Local Knowledge Visible: An IR in Kosovo

In 2017, a joint international effort commenced under the direction of the President of University for Business and Technology (UBT) in Kosovo with colleagues from Linnaeus University (Sweden) and University for the Pacific (USA) to define, create and populate a Knowledge Center for UBT which would include an institutional repository (IR). Enlivened by discussion and feedback from the intended recipients, the needs and goals of a UBT IR were identified. Of course, creating and populating an IR is a lengthy process with many potential problems and varied approaches. Discussion of best practices was undertaken early and currently, the UBT Knowledge Center (https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/) has 1,495 records uploaded. The point of this presentation is not only to discuss the process by which a Kosovo IR began but also the impact of making local knowledge visible to current and future UBT students, as well as regionally and internationally. As part of the author's doctoral research, a study of quantitative and qualitative impact is currently underway on the UBT Knowledge Center. Results from surveying student and faculty at UBT will be shared as well as usage statistics both in country and internationally, drawing conclusions on impact and reach of the project endeavor