[Archivesspace_Users_Group] Revised Proposal for Container Management Enhancements - Call for Community Input

[Wendler, Robin King]

Dear ArchivesSpace Community,

The Harvard Library has been reviewing container and location management functionality in ArchivesSpace and we are proposing to make enhancements to this functionality that we would like to contribute to the core code. With these enhancements, we hope to make finding, viewing, and updating information related to containers and locations in the staff interface more efficient and effective.



Some of you may remember a proposal we distributed this time last year. A variety of factors delayed the work, so we have significantly revised the proposal based on the valuable feedback provided by the ArchivesSpace community and informed by Harvard archivists' increasing experience with container management in ArchivesSpace. Some proposals have been removed, while others have been added or altered.



Additions include

  *   Return to Top Container search results from viewing an individual Top Container record
  *   Bulk or batch function to create new Top Containers, associate existing Locations with them, and link them to multiple existing archival objects.
  *   Bulk operation to delete barcodes from Top Containers
  *   File-upload function to add Locations to Top Containers
  *   Ability to merge Location records



The most significant changes to previous proposals include the following:

  *   The proposed additional indicator fields and ILS Bibliographic Record ID field in Top Containers have been removed.
  *   The proposed Note field and Inactive checkbox for Locations, along with all functionality associated with inactive status, have been removed.
  *   Automatic scoping of Container Profiles, Locations, and Location Profiles by repository appears to be too complex, given the community request to make repositories repeatable and the desire for it to be an installation configuration option. In lieu of that, the revised proposal adds a repeatable, optional repository field to container profiles and adds a facet for filtering by repository to browse results for Container Profiles and Locations.
  *   Proposed functionality around Location status has been removed



The revised draft proposal is attached to this email and we are asking for community review and feedback. The proposal includes the rationale for the changes, a list of database fields to be added, user stories describing the specific changes we are proposing, and mockups of the related updates to the staff interface. Please note that the proposal represents a superset of the work we may be able to complete in the next couple of months, and that not all the proposed changes will be addressed at this time. Another caveat: some of the desiderata require further technical design that will determine what approach will be taken. These will be investigated in consultation with Lyrasis ArchivesSpace staff.



If you have questions or feedback, please email me at robin_wendler at harvard.edu<mailto:robin_wendler at harvard.edu>. We will be accepting comments through Wednesday, December 18, 2019.



We look forward to receiving community input.



Best,

Robin



Robin Wendler

Library Technology Services

Harvard University

90 Mt. Auburn St.

Cambridge, MA 02138

617-998-5457

617-495-3724

r_wendler at harvard.edu<mailto:r_wendler at harvard.edu>


Robin Wendler
Library Technology Services
Harvard University
90 Mt. Auburn St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-998-5457
617-495-3724
r_wendler at harvard.edu

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