Leveraging library technology resources for internal projects, outreach, and engagement: A case study of Overleaf, LaTeX, and the KiltHub Institutional Repository Service at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

Abstract

Academic libraries offer educational outreach surrounding their technology services available to users. When using those same technology services for internal projects, librarians can better understand the mechanisms behind these technologies, allowing for meaningful outreach efforts in which librarians serve as both primary users and facilitators of use. This paper highlights a case study of leveraging an institutional license to Overleaf, a collaborative LaTeX editor, to rebuild documentation on the use of KiltHub, an institutional repository. This requires a complex mix of text, images, tables, and even videos, and presented a tremendous challenge to format in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. In leveraging the library’s own technologies, the KiltHub team gained a greater understanding of how to use and teach with these platforms, ultimately better serving campus users.