Large-Scale Etd Repositories: A Case Study Of A Digital Library Application

We describe the implementation of a statewide system for managing and preserving electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) from Texas universities. We further explain the theoretical, technical and political issues that arose during the implementation of this system. These issues range from technical components developed by TDL-such as a customized workflow management application and adding OAI-ORE capabilities to DSpace-to human-centered issues such as stakeholder engagement and participation. Our experiences reflect the challenges, expected and unexpected, that others will face when attempting to build digital library applications to scale.