ArchivesSpace:Next Generation Archives Management System

Bradley Westbrook

ArchivesSpace Program Manager

23 September 2013

PROJECT OVERVIEW

software that provides integrated support for the archival workflow, including appraisal, accessioning, description, arrangement, publication of finding aids, collection management, and preservation

(Lisa Spiro, Archival Management Software: Report for CLIR, 2009 http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/spiro)

Archives Management System

• A project instigated and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for integrating the best qualities of Archon and the Archivists’ Toolkit into a “next generation” archives management tool

• Requires developing a sustainable partnership and community to support and foster the growth of the software

• A community effort, led by the libraries of New York University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of California, San Diego

• Three phases: planning, development, and transitioning

ArchivesSpace: The Project

• Steering Group: Luc Declerck, David Millman, Beth Sandore, with Robin Dale

• Technical Architect: Mark Matienzo

• Development Manager: Katherine Kott

• Stakeholder Team: Mark Matienzo (Product Owner), Chris Prom, Kyle Rimkus, Scott Schwartz, Annie Ross, Brad Westbrook (Archivists/Business Analysts), Joe Pawletko (Technical Advisor)

• Development Team (Hudson Molonglo): James Bullen, Mark Triggs, Payten Giles, Brian Hoffman

• Testing and Release Team: Sai Tadikonda, Brian Tingle, Adrian Turner (CDL); with Hudson Molonglo, Mark Matienzo, and Katherine Kott

• Migration Team: Joe Pawletko (NYU), Nathan Stevens (AT), Chris Prom (Archon) plus Stakeholders and UIUC programmers

Multi-Faceted Project Team

Phase 1: PlanningFall 2009-Winter 2011

Technical planing– Functional requirements (archivesspace.org/documents/AT

Archon HiLevel Reqs--FINAL--2010127.pdf)– Application specifications (archivesspace.org/documents/

Accession Specification--FINAL--20100421.pdf)– Architecture (archivesspace.org/documents/

ArchivesSpace_Technical_Architecture_Report-FINAL-07302010.pdf)

Business planning– Community Survey (www.chrisprom.com/stats.html)– Contracted consultant– Drafted Charter for product governance

Phase 2: Development:July 2011-Fall 2013

Basic front & back end

infrastructure

(July/Aug)

API, record edit,

authentication, general

import/export

(Sept/Oct)

Workflow, search, EAD import/expor

t (Nov/Dec)

All required import/expor

t, UI templating & customizatio

n (Jan/Feb)

Repository management workflow,

user management workflow, reporting(Mar/Apr)

Full application

testing, beta release

(May/June)

KEY FACTS

Requirements

• Java 1.6 or higher; Java 1.7+ recommended• MySQL (not required,

but strongly recommended for production use)• At least 512 MB RAM allocated to the

application• ArchivesSpace has been tested on Linux (Red

Hat and Ubuntu), Mac OS X, and Windows.

Supported BrowsersBrowser Bronze Support Silver Support Gold Support

Internet Explorer 6-7

Yes No No

Internet Explorer 8+

Yes Yes No

Firefox 7 and below

Yes Yes No

Firefox 8+ Yes Yes Yes

Chrome Yes Yes Yes

Safari 4 Yes No No

Safari 5+ Yes Yes Yes

Technology

• JRuby, Sinatra, Rails

• jQuery, Twitter Bootstrap

• JSON, MySQL, Derby, Solr

• RSpec, Selenium, SimpleCov

• Git, Ant

Architecture

• Backend application takes care of data persistence and presents a RESTful API

• Frontend applications present user interfaces and exchange JSON data with the backend via the API

• Shared libraries for consistent and efficient handing of operations on JSON data objects

• An indexer ensures that as data changes it is accurately reflected in the search indexes

Standards Compliant

• Content standards: ISAD(G), DACS, ISAAR-CPF

• Data format standards: – Collections: EAD, MARCXML– Dig. Objects: METS (MODS/DC, PREMIS

Tech/Rights), MARCXML, MODS, DC– Agents: EAC

ArchivesSpace 1.0 Features

• Accession management• Multilevel archival description

with rapid data entry, with drag and drop user interface

• Digital object metadata management

• Relationships between records• Location management• Event records for

preservation /collection management actions*

• Authority control for people, corporate bodies, families, subjects, classifications, software

• Public discovery interface*• Import and export of EAD and

MARCXML; import of CSV; export of MODS, METS, & DC

• Support for multiple repositories and multi-tenancy*

• REST API*• Full-text search*• Plugin architecture• Controlled value lists• Configurable permission

“groups”*• LDAP authentication*

ONE APPLICATION,TWO INTERFACES

Public Interface

Public Interface

Public Interface

Staff Interface

Primary Modules

Accessions

Resources

Digital Objects

Subjects

Agents

Browsing

Importing

ArchivesSpace Sandboxes

• Public interface: http://alpha.archivesspace.org:8081/

• Staff interface: http://alpha.archivesspace.org/– Username: “admin”– Password: “admin”

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Organizational Home

Membership • Model

– Sliding scale membership fees

– Intended to permit representation from a broad variety of archives types and sizes

– Enrollment of general members has started

– To request to become a member, contact Brad Westbrook, ArchivesSpace Program Manager (brad.westbrook@lyrasis.org or ArchivesSpaceHome@lyrasis.org)

• General membership brochure: http://www.archivesspace.org/brochures/membership

Fee Structure

Membership Benefits

• Access to user instruction manual, video tutorials, help support

• Request new features

• Participate in governance groups

• Persistent application and community

54 Charter Members• American Congregational Association’s

Congregational Library• Arizona State University • Boston City Archives and Records• Brigham Young University• Brooklyn Historical Society Library and

Archives• Claremont Colleges Library• Clemson University• Clerics of St Viator• College of William and Mary• Columbia University• Creighton University• Duke University• Eastern Michigan University• Getty Research Institute• Harvard University• Indianapolis Museum of Art Library and

Archives

• Institute for Advanced Study [Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center]

• Johns Hopkins University• Litchfield Historical Society• Luther College• Massachusetts Institute for Technology• Mennonite Church USA Archives• Michael Feinstein Great American

Songbook Initiative• Michigan State University• Mississippi State University• Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural

Association• National Library of Australia• New York Public Library

• New York University• Northwestern University• Pennsylvania State University• Princeton University • Purdue University• Rockefeller Archive Center• Santa Ana Public Library• Smithsonian Institution• Stanford University• Texas A&M University• University of California, Berkeley• University of California, Irvine• University of California, Los Angeles• University of California, San Diego

• University of Houston• University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign• University of Iowa• University of Kentucky• University of Maryland• University of Michigan• University of Minnesota• University of North Carolina at

Charlotte• University of Richmond• University of Tennessee• University of Virginia• University of West Florida• Yale University

Governance• Structure/Groups

– Board of Trustees (5 elected seats)– User Advisory Council (10 appointments)– Technical Advisory Council (10 appointments)

• Governance brochure (http://www.archivesspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ArchivesSpace_Governance_Brochure_20130715.pdf)

Staffing

• Program Manager, hired June 1, 2013

• Developer, under recruitment

• Diverse LYRASIS staff:– Website design and development– Members tracking and accounting– IT and communications support

Resources

• ArchivesSpace website: http://www.archivesspace.org/

• ArchivesSpace FAQ: http://www.archivesspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ArchivesSpace_FAQ_20130717v2-1.pdf

• ArchivesSpace membership brochure: http://www.archivesspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ArchivesSpace-Inline-Brochure.pdf

• ArchivesSpace governance brochure: http://www.archivesspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ArchivesSpace_Governance_Brochure_20130715.pdf

Questions?