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Sample Communications Plan

The activities and documents you include in a communications plan for your DSpace system will obviously depend on the specifics of your system and university. At MIT, the DSpace team created a communications plan designed to reach all potential target audiences including library staff, faculty and researchers, consumers of DSpace content, MIT alumni, potential DSpace Federation partners, and the general public.

We offer here a sample communications plan that you can customize to suit your DSpace service.

Sample Communications Plan

The first table below identifies those communication activities that will be ongoing, while the second one describes communication events that are tied to the service’s launch date.

Ongoing DSpace Communications Activities

Event

Purpose

 Person(s) Responsible Target Audience Repeat
DSpace Website Provide general information User Support Manager World Continuous
Online Newsletter Disseminate DSpace news User Support Manager DSpace-announce list, Library staff, Advisory groups, Early Adopters Quarterly
Meetings with Faculty and Community Groups Acquaint prospective communities with DSpace User Support Manager Faculty, DSpace
Communities		 Continuous
FAQ Provide concise responses to commonly asked questions System Support Manager & User Support Manager World As needed
Update Libraries Publications Packet Incorporate DSpace into library’s services University News Office Library’s targets Annual
DSpace Links from Website: (home page, departmental pages, subject pages) Incorporate DSpace into library’s services Webmaster Web site audience As needed
Open Lab Hands-on Sessions Educate library staff System Support Manager & User Support Manager Library Staff Continuous
Articles, Press Releases & Publicity Events Raise awareness of DSpace University News Office University, World Continuous
New Faculty Orientation Inform faculty about benefits of DSpace Faculty User Group New Faculty Annual
Press Kit Provide Information about DSpace University News Office Press Annual

DSpace Launch Events and Activities

Communications Events and Activities
Event Purpose Person(s) Responsible Target Audience

Spotlight on University Home Page
 Advertise launch events,
Raise awareness of DSpace 		University News Office Campus
All Staff Meeting Raise staff awareness of DSpace and answer questions DSpace Planning Team Libraries Staff
Articles in Campus Magazines and Newspapers Promote participation; Raise awareness on campus User Support Manager and University News Office Campus, Faculty, Alumni
DSpace Demo for Library Council Build understanding of the DSpace service DSpace System Manager, User Support Manager Library Council
IT Partners Conference Raise awareness on campus User Support Manager IT Staff
All Staff Meeting Share final report of planning committee DSpace Planning Team Library staff
Technology Day Alumni Event Fundraising University News Office, Development Office Alumni
DSpace Brochure General DSpace Info. University News Office Public
All Faculty Electronic Mailing Promote launch event University News Office Faculty
Press Releases for Launch Announce launch of DSpace University News Office General public, Higher education, Research community, Library community
Launch Event Celebrate launch of DSpace & fundraising University News Office University community, donors
Technology Breakfasts Raise awareness and fundraising University Librarian Alumni