How does one promote open access and institutional repositories in a country where they are still relatively novel? Can you communicate effectively about library issues in a place where everyone speaks English as a second language? Do you eat amala with a fork or just use your fingers? The answers to these questions and more are the focus of this informative session on academic library development in Africa's most populous country. In November, 2019, Michael Boock and Richard Sapon-White spent two weeks at OSU's sister library at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, meeting with colleagues, consulting on setting up their institutional repository, and presenting at two conferences. They will also provide their up-close and personal experiences with Nigerian music, food, and popular culture-including their visit to the palace of the alake (king) of the Egbas. Come hear the highlights of their visit and learn the benefits of establishing a sister library relationship of your own!
Michael Boock, Associate Professor and Scholarly Communications Librarian at Oregon State University, has more than 20 years of experience in digital library, scholarly communications, and technical services operations. Professor Boock formed the Center for Digital Scholarship at Oregon State in 2010 and developed new library services supporting the visibility, publication, management, and preservation of university scholarship. A 2018-2019 U.S. Fulbright Awardee in Sofia Bulgaria, Professor Boock received his Masters in Library and Information Science from Kent State University and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on digital libraries, digital preservation, and scholarly communications. He is the current Chair of the MetaArchive Cooperative Steering Team.
Richard Sapon-White is currently Principal Cataloger at Oregon State University, where he has worked since 1996. He has nearly 30 years of experience as a cataloger, beginning with his position as science cataloger at Virginia Tech in 1990. He is also a two-time Fulbright Award recipient, having taught cataloging courses at Charles University in Prague and at the University of Warsaw in Poland. An active member of the International Federation of Library Associations where he is a member of the Genre and Form Working Group, he presently serves as chair of the American Library Association’s International Relations Round Table.
