2026
CRKN Virtual Conference: Creative Collaborations, Collective Momentum
Virtual
May 12 - 14, 2026
The HARVEST Upload Service: using mediated deposit to advocate for sustainable open access
Tuesday May 12, 2026
From 1:00pm to 1:30pm
Most Canadian universities now have an institutional repository where researchers can share theses, dissertations, articles, and grey literature. Typically, libraries maintain the repository and offer support and training, but authors are expected to add their work themselves. However, some institutions also offer mediated deposit – getting files, checking copyright and license permissions, and adding metadata on behalf of authors. At USask, we launched a mediated deposit pilot in the summer of 2024 and found it was effective at increasing both deposit rates and promoting the repository on campus. Offering a mediated deposit service allows us to reach out to authors soon after they publish, requesting the appropriate version of their paper while they still have access to it. The service also alleviates administrative burden on the author, as well as concerns around violating copyright or publisher policies. In this session, we will discuss the pilot project, including deposit rates, potential author savings in open access fees, and staffing decisions that prioritize relationship-building, and how we built on that momentum to develop our current Upload Service. We will also discuss how this new service positions us well to support authors in complying with the forthcoming revised Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications which is expected to require repository deposit. Offering mediated deposit has been an effective way to interrupt current workflows and encourage forms of open access that give authors more options and control, de-centering the power of large commercial publishers and supporting an equitable and sustainable future for scholarly communication.
