Durable Digital Repositories: The DSpace Project Bill Jordan University Libraries

Project description DSpace developed by MIT and HP over past 2 years Intent is to capture, distribute, and preserve “born-digital” scholarship Breadth-first system Open source Standards-based Mellon grant to support federation of DSpace with other universities

Why a repository ? Quantity of born-digital scholarship increasing Questions about how to manage it over time Some should be saved as part of the permanent scholarly record Statutory requirement to save some: Records Mgmt/University Archives Preservation framework

Libraries interests Extension of our historical mission to maintain the scholarly record Issues are familiar to us: –Selection –Conservation, stewardship, preservation –Insuring long-term access Cooperative effort across institutions

DSpace System Architecture Modular –Application layer –Business rules layer –Storage layer Defined API’s between layers Expectation that value-added services to meet local or community needs will be developed for app layer

Architecture Diagram

Standards Metadata – qualified DC (Libraries Working Group Application Profile) OAIS SIPs/DIPs use custom XML format, developing METS extensions Metadata exposed via OAI-PMH Persistent identifiers via Handle system (also used for DOIs)

Workflow DSpace supports different workflows for different communities (up to 3 steps) 1: accept/reject submission 2: edit metadata, accept/reject 3: edit metadata, must then accept Support for more complex workflows needed (e.g., peer review)

Policies Where the real IR work is Focus: access, dissemination, preservation, change agent? Selection: scope, locus of control Supported formats, and what “support” means Withdrawals, permanence Preservation commitment

DSpace Demo

Development SOAP/REST-based web services for metadata search/retrieval Support for more complex org structures (subcommunities) Import/export in METS UI improvements Fulltext searching Persistent bitstream identifiers Support for ingesting web sites

UW Libraries Going slow, 1 active community Talking to other potential “early adopter” communities Examining use as disciplinary, cross- institutional repository Examining as tool to manage Libraries own digital assets Looking at how this intersects with other campus efforts like DigitalWell

For more information Resources: –UW Libraries DSpace implementation –DSpace project –Institutional repositories Contacts: –Bill Jordan –Joyce Ogburn –Ann Lally