Talking with three library-school students last week, I somewhat unimaginatively compared marketing an institutional repository to pushing a large rock over a mountain. Eventually, we get to the top (or tipping point, if you like), and the rock’s own momentum takes over. There’s just a long hard climb first.
“We’re talking a mountain this big,” I said, raising my hand high over my head, “and I’m about this far up it,” holding thumb and index finger a few inches apart next to the table.
I’m just starting to see progress, though. I don’t think I hit a home run at last week’s faculty talk, but it did feel like a solid base hit, maybe even a double. One of the small centers I started courting last semester is submitting papers at last, which of course makes it far easier to recruit others. (Folks don’t like to be first, but they’ll crowd to be second.) I’ve got four attendees already for my first scholarly-communication talk in two weeks—and three weeks isn’t much notice. I’m doing an open-house in a couple of days, too.
And my mental address-book is starting to overflow with people I’m supposed to be keeping track of because they’re interested in the repository, which feels like a pretty good sign.
