About HarvestIR

HarvestIR, the institutional repository of the University of the Fraser Valley, was established in October 2015 and captures the digital assets of the entire university. It includes work by faculty, staff, and students, and it also includes historical material within UFV's Special Collections and Archives. Reflecting the history of our evolving institution, HarvestIR includes materials from Fraser Valley College, the University College of the Fraser Valley, and the University of the Fraser Valley. 

UFV is very pleased to be one of the early adopters of Arca. For more information about Arca, see below.

Can faculty and staff contribute to HarvestIR? Yes, faculty and staff work is included in HarvestIR. Please contact Brenda Philip with your suggestions.

Can students contribute to HarvestIR? We are pleased to include student work in HarvestIR. However, student work must go through a review process or be recommended by faculty before it will be included in HarvestIR. Currently HarvestIR includes student major papers, honour papers, theses, Student Research Day winning posters, and other materials recommended by faculty.

What is the HarvestIR name all about? The University of the Fraser Valley is situated in a rich agricultural area. So a name reflecting the harvest seemed appropriate, as we digitally gather the outputs of student, faculty, and staff research and work. Having spent over three years promoting and working towards an IR for UFV we wanted to retain "IR" in the name, hence the name HarvestIR (pronounced "harvester").

For more information about HarvestIR, see our HarvestIR libguide http://libguides.ufv.ca/HarvestIR

For questions about HarvestIR, contact:

Brenda Philip
Special Collections Librarian and IR Administrator
University of the Fraser Valley
(604) 504-7441 x4191
brenda.philip@ufv.ca

About Arca

UFV's HarvestIR is part of Arca, a collaborative initiative that puts the development and implementation of a digital repository within reach for every organisation, at a reasonable cost, and in a supported environment.

Arca exists to create opportunities to share digital scholarship and heritage, and to build communities in British Columbia and beyond; for access, discovery, and knowledge creation, with cost-effective, shared infrastructure.

Through centralised coordination and a collaborative approach, Arca:

  • Ensures organisations can offer a high-quality, responsive digital repository service at an affordable cost.
  • Maximises system efficiencies through centralised licensing, expertise, best practices, and support.
  • Builds a community of practice that extends expertise, nurtures innovation and cultivates collaboration.
  • Facilitates search across digital assets from all participating organisations.
  • Seeks opportunities to strengthen and build new partnerships.

Arca is built on Islandora, a Canadian-developed open-source platform currently in use at over 100 public and private institutions worldwide. This shared platform provides organisations with open-access repositories for research, theses, and any other digital assets they wish to make available to the wider community.

Arca is made possible by a partnership between the BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN) and Charlottetown, PEI-based software firm discoverygarden. Implementation was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

For more information about Arca, including project timelines, announcements, annual reports, etc. please visit the BC ELN website.

Questions? Contact the Arca Administrative Centre.