About this Newsletter

Edition: April 2006 No.1

Audience: RUBRIC Board, Partner Project Managers and RUBRIC Central Staff.

Created by: Cameron Loudon, RUBRIC Business and Communications Coordinator.

Auto-generated from the Integrated Content Environment (ICE) using the ICE Word template.

FOSTER Day in May

The preparations for FOSTER Day in May are almost complete. Our second FOSTER Day will be held in conjunction with the APSR workshop - Establishing a Digital Repository Service at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. This FOSTER Day will focus on the three Repository software solutions - DSpace, Fez and ARROW Vital.

Repository Trials are on Trac!

RUBRIC Partner Repository trials got underway on schedule this month with the University of Newcastle deciding to take a closer look at DSpace. Vicki Picasso began by asking lots of questions that RUBRIC Central couldn’t answer, but we are working through it together. Neil Godfrey, the RUBRIC Central metadata specialist, with help from Caroline Ayers and Corey Wallis assisted Vicki adding items to the Newcastle Community on DSpace. Together we had some fun discovering DSpace workflow and what happens to a deleted item. Links to the RUBRIC communal Repositories are available on the RUBRIC Servers page on Trac.

To see the full Repository Demonstrator Schedule visit Trac.

RUBRIC and the MAMS Federation

Recently the RUBRIC Project joined level 1 of the MAMS Testbed Federation. This consisted of installing the Shibboleth Identity Provider software and using an in house LDAP server for authentication. The same LDAP server is being used to provide authentication services for Trac. In the future we will have a RUBRIC Central project to migrate to level 2 of the Testbed Federation and we anticipate this will provide further avenues to explore. This will include testing federated authentication with the RUBRIC Central website, and evaluating the integration of this type of technology with the Institutional Repository solutions currently under evaluation.

The use of federated authentication technologies, such as Shibboleth, is a growing area and one that the RUBRIC Central technical team is keeping watch on. We see federated authentication as one of the issues that is becoming more important as the use of Institutional Repositories for the storage of more than just open access materials increases.

PPM Weekly Teleconference

The RUBRIC Partner Project Managers meet regularly via teleconference to discuss the common and unique aspects of establishing an Institutional Repository.

The notes of every teleconference can be reviewed on the RUBRIC Sharepoint.  

DEST JISC visit USQ Update

Alan Smith and the RUBRIC Team had the pleasure of hosting representatives from both DEST and JISC on Tuesday 28 February as part of the e-Framework stream of the RUBRIC Project. We now have the photo to prove it.

(Left to right) Rachel Bruce (JISC), Vijaya Gururajan (e-Framework), Chris Mills (USQ), Kerry Blinco (e-Framework), Tish Roberts (JISC), Peter Sefton (RUBRIC), Alan Smith (USQ), Vice Chancellor Bill Lovegrove (USQ), Alun Hughes (JISC), Clare McLaughlin (DEST), Neil McLean (DEST), Sarah Porter (JISC), Jon Mason (e-Framework), Cameron Loudon (RUBRIC), Caroline Ayers (RUBRIC).

You can read the full story published in USQ News on page 12. There is also an interesting Soapbox article on page 11.

May RUBRIC Board Meeting

The next RUBRIC Board meeting is scheduled for Monday 22 May at Customs House in Brisbane.

Please send agenda items to Louise Williamson (williaml@usq.edu.au). For more information on the venue, or to review the minutes of previous meetings, visit the RUBRIC website Board Meetings page.

Personalised Trac Access

RUBRIC Board members and Partner Project Managers can now access the Trac project management system using a personal logon.

Possibly the most useful overview page is the 'Roadmap' which shows what RUBRIC Central is covering in our weekly work-cycles. This will give a feel for the kind of day to day activities being undertaken by RUBRIC Central staff, particularly the technical team.

Your personal logon also allows you to update the Trac wiki pages!

Username and Password

Your username is the same as your Sharepoint username.

Your temporary password – please contact if you haven’t received your password  

Changing your password

The URL to the change your Trac password is https://rubric-idp.usq.edu.au/accountmgmt

Please contact Cameron at any time at loudon@usq.edu.au or call 0412 673 941 or 07 4631 1422 at anytime if you require any whatsoever.

Where in the World is Cameron Sandiego?

Trying to find a contact number for a RUBRIC Board member, Partner Project Manager or RUBRIC Central team member? Not only are all the contact details on Trac but everyone can update their own information on the RUBRIC Team Contact Details wiki page. It’s also a handy place to record if you are on Leave or out of the office. Give it a go today.

If you need help modifying the page talk to Cameron at loudon@usq.edu.au or phone +61 7 46311422 or contact one of our helpful PPM’s below.

Simon McMillan - University of New England

Kate Watson - University of the Sunshine Coast

Alison Hunter - University of Southern Queensland

Russell Hewitt - Massey University

Vicki Picasso - University of Newcastle (IRUA liaison)

Amanda Nixon - Flinders University

Sit-Ling Tull - Murdoch University

Fiona Burton - Macquarie University

Past Newsletters

If you have not received or would like to review any of the past RUBRIC Project Updates they are presently archived on RUBRIC SharePoint.

Links of Interest

USQ RUBRIC Project

USQ ICE Project

Trac Project Management

About del.icio.us

APSR Project

NRL Tipping Competition

The less said about this the better unless you are Vicki Picasso! I’m sure Alison will agree with me. No money is changing hands … this is all about pride!

Acknowledgement

RUBRIC is supported by the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative as part of the Commonwealth Government's Backing Australia's Ability - An Innovative Action Plan for the Future (BAA)