Creating complex repository collections, such as journals, with Manakin

The purpose of this paper is to report on a devised method of collection organisation within a DSpace repository using a Manakin theme and descriptive metadata.

Using a Manakin theme, a user interface for a repository collection containing the contents of a serial was created to divide the collection into individual issues and serve the user a table of contents.

The Manakin theme delivered the desired result of a browse interface that allowed the user to select and view subsets of items within a collection.

For complex collections that might require subdivisions, DSpace's rigid data model of communities and collections is not ideal. This new interface allows for the inclusion and proper display of such complex collections.

The paper should resonate with repository managers frustrated with the inflexibility of the default organisational structure of DSpace and its unsuitability for many different types of collections.