colang repository

What is Zotero and why is it being used for this repository?

Zotero is open source and developed by an independent, non-profit organization. Some may be familiar with this program as a citation manager, but as a repository, Zotero allows us to store, share, and organize CoLang materials and information in a way that is easier to navigate and maintain than previous solutions such as spreadsheets or individual web pages.

Zotero also allows us to support extensive metadata related to individual documents and enables users to to sort, filter, and quickly gain insight to what courses were offered at each CoLang Institute, who the facilitators were, and where materials have been made available, how a topic may have been approached or taught.

If there are suggestions for other platforms that could meet our needs for a simple input and maintenance process for Web Committee volunteers and that would be easily navigable by the general public who may be interested in access course materials, please let us know at info@colanginstitute.org.

What are examples of materials that may be classed in each of the Public/Restricted/ Closed categories?

The choice to submit materials as Public, Restricted, or Closed is primarily a matter of facilitator preference rather than being determined by the nature of the materials themselves. 

These classifications were anticipated based on the sense that materials such as syllabi or reading lists* would often be appropriate to be Public while slides may include information that should require permission (Restricted). For these items, the public can see that the material exists on Zotero, but will have to request access to it. If there are other materials that are more sensitive or related to a community/language then those may be Closed which means that they would only be available to the CoLang Web Committee, AC and the LOC for reference.

*Readings and texts cannot be made available through the repository for copyright reasons. However, reading lists provide insight to the materials that the facilitator deems relevant to the course topic with references for interested parties to seek these materials out independently. Selection of Open Access resources where available ensures everyone would be able to seek out course materials.

What should I do if there are select photos or examples that would require my materials to be made less available?

If possible, we first recommend saving a version of your course materials before these photos or examples are added. Alternatively, these photos or examples could be removed from finalized materials before submission to the repository. If neither of these options are appropriate, the Restricted or Closed categories of the repository may address your concerns, but if not, we recommend opting out of submitting that file. We hope that, as this process becomes more expected, facilitators will be able to plan their materials to address the goals of the repository project.

Will facilitators be able to selectively upload materials to different Public/Restricted/ Closed categories?

Yes; our opt-in and submission form has three opportunities to upload materials that are differentiated for each Public, Restricted, and Closed materials. This way, facilitators can choose the upload section(s) relevant to their preference and skip any category that does not apply to their materials.

Additionally, if there are materials for which you would prefer to “opt-out” completely, you can omit these materials from the submission process.

For Restricted materials, who receives the request for access? Who determines whether these materials are made available?

The CoLang Web Committee would be the first point of contact for these requests. The process to have the facilitator(s) grant permission is still being developed and is open for discussion. For some facilitators, they may be open to anyone accessing the material dependent on their anticipated use, others may prefer to address requests on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to submit Restricted materials, please reach out to us to discuss how you think it would be best to manage those materials going forward and how the Web Committee can reliably reach you (or the person with the necessary authority) in the future if requests arise.

If a facilitator submits materials believing they have community consent to share their materials more broadly, how is consent ensured? What protocol has been developed for intake that checks those kinds of things?

We do not have the contact information or knowledge to know how individual communities grant authority for sharing their materials, so we rely on facilitators to ensure that materials being submitted to the Repository have received appropriate community consent.

Once items are deposited in the repository, can those materials be removed?

Yes; the course facilitator(s) will be documented in connection with course materials, so they can choose to change access permissions for materials stored in the Repository or remove materials as needed at any time.

Will there be a process for parties other than the original depositor(s) to request that materials be removed or reclassified as Restricted/Closed?

At this time, we imagine that this process would be similar to requesting access to restricted materials in that the CoLang Web Committee would be the primary point of contact, and depending on the sensitivity of the situation, we could support other parties in voicing their concerns, either to the original depositor(s) or the CoLang Advisory Circle, that specific materials should not be Public. Through discussion with these parties, we will help to determine whether the file should be reclassified under Restricted or Closed access or removed from the Repository altogether.

Have you considered encouraging folks to use creative commons licenses?

Yes; there is growing momentum among recent LOCs advocating for the creation of course materials that satisfy requirements of a creative commons license. However, based on input from members of the CoLang community who are better versed in this topic, we understand that  the process of developing materials that adhere to creative commons licenses is more complicated than people may perceive it to be. To list all course materials publicly under CC licenses, facilitators and the Web Committee would need access to adequate training to ensure materials are created correctly and given the appropriate permissions.

Is there interest in the option of an embargo period so that materials could be unrestricted after a period of time to afford facilitators the opportunity to publish works?

We are open to further conversation about how frequent such requests would be and how we can manage these needs in a way that does not place too much strain on any party involved. At this time, if this would be relevant to your materials, please email info@colanginstitute.org to discuss how this may be managed in your case before submitting any materials.