A Virtual Repository Approach to Departmental Information Sharing

Problem Statement: Realizing the difficulties in information sharing among the academicians, this study introduces an alternative information sharing model supporting information management features. Objective: The model is designed in an attempt to facilitate information distribution and information sharing at minimum effort and cost. Approach: A centralized database approach is used in the model enabling any educator in the higher learning institution to participate and manage the database, conceptualizing that the database is their very own ’personal library’. This model is then implemented in an application given a persona name ViRepo-a web-based internal virtual repository. The process of analyzing, designing and implementing the model into ViRepo is sufficiently reported in this study. Results: ViRepo proved that the model, in actual fact, allows information access, information sharing, information management, partnership enhancement and allows an utmost repository control by each and every participating educator. Also, each user is able to obtain a better picture about the overall collection’s field, possession status and type (printed or electronic), which in turns reflects the owners’ interest and field of research. Conclusion: Being relatively simple in terms of architecture, ViRepo is highly potential to be implemented in learning organization as it can enrich the knowledge of the users and owners and at the same time reduce the cost of purchasing reading materials.