[Archivesspace_Users_Group] ArchivesSpace Update - September 2021

Thu Sep 30 09:10:41 EDT 2021

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ArchivesSpace Update – September 2021

Development

ArchivesSpace v3.1 is currently available. ArchivesSpace is announcing the availability of v3.1.0. You can download it at https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace/releases/.

This release includes a number of accessibility improvements, particularly to the public interface. Many of these were identified in an accessibility audit conducted by Deque across the open source applications that make their homes at LYRASIS, which include DSpace, CollectionSpace, and ArchivesSpace. The release also includes specific bug fixes and small feature improvements prioritized by the Development Prioritization sub-team. There are also additional performance, backend and staff interface improvements from Hudson Molonglo developers James Bullen, Mark Triggs, and Payten Giles that derived from work HM did for Queensland State Archives as part of a larger project.

Thanks to all of our community members who contributed code for this release: Alex Duryee, Andrew Morrison, Dave Mayo, James Bullen, Mark Triggs, Nick Butler, Payten Giles, Sam Hatfield, and Sean Anderson. As always, program team members Lora Woodford, Brian Hoffman, and Mark Cooper, as well as contractors Manny Rodriguez and Brian Zelip, wrote and/or reviewed substantial code for the release. Thanks also to our community groups, especially the Testing sub-team, for their efforts.

Information on upgrading to a new version of ArchivesSpace is available at https://archivesspace.github.io/tech-docs/administration/upgrading.html. If you have any difficulties, please let us know.

This is the spring/summer 2021 release from the roadmap<https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ADC/pages/2634973195/Roadmap+as+of+September+2021>. Items that were projected for this release that did not make it in have been shifted to future releases.

Please get in touch if you have any questions. Thanks as always for your feedback and support.

Upcoming Change to the Way ArchivesSpace is Deployed

We wanted to alert you to an upcoming change in the way the ArchivesSpace application is deployed. This change will not be noticeable to end users of the application, but it will affect those that install and maintain it for users.

Background

ArchivesSpace uses Solr<https://solr.apache.org/> for its search platform. Since its original release in 2013, ArchivesSpace has used a version of Solr that can be embedded into the application so that Solr is installed and configured by default when ArchivesSpace is installed. Though most ArchivesSpace deployments opt for this embedded version of Solr, some sites choose to use an external deployment of Solr and maintain it separately from ArchivesSpace.

In its own upgrades over the years, Solr made some changes so that it can no longer be embedded. While we have stayed on the highest embeddable version of Solr (v4.10.4) for years, this version is now old and unsupported by its maintainers, and it is no longer sustainable for us to use it in new releases. In order to maintain and improve this critical piece of ArchivesSpace infrastructure, we need to upgrade Solr. In the process we will need to make the transition to using external Solr only.

What does this mean for me?

Once we make this change, if you are responsible for deploying ArchivesSpace at your institution, you will need to download and install Solr and use ArchivesSpace’s supplied Solr configuration to create the Solr index. This will be in addition to managing your own MySQL database. Solr will no longer be distributed with ArchivesSpace and ArchivesSpace will no longer work out-of-the-box without an external Solr deployment. ArchivesSpace will need to be fully re-indexed when this transition occurs.

If you are not the person responsible for deploying ArchivesSpace at your institution, this change will not directly affect you, though it will be important to make sure the person responsible for deploying your ArchivesSpace is aware of the change.

Will you have strict requirements for how to deploy Solr?

Like with MySQL, the ArchivesSpace team does not intend to be opinionated about how Solr is deployed externally. System administrators will be able to use whatever method they prefer to install Solr. For those who require more guidance, however, we will have instructions for using a standalone Solr installation along with specific ArchivesSpace Solr configuration files. These will be in addition to the standard documentation provided by Solr (https://solr.apache.org/guide/8_9/installing-solr.html).

When will this happen?

We expect to make the transition to external Solr with the release on the roadmap<https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ADC/pages/2634973195/Roadmap+as+of+September+2021> that is planned for December 2021. Even so, older versions of ArchivesSpace will continue to work with the embedded Solr that was included with them at the time of their release.

How can I learn more?

We will be providing a number of community education opportunities along with technical documentation beginning later this fall to help people understand what they will need to do to make the changes. These may include webinars, recorded tutorials, Q&A sessions for technical staff, and online documentation. All of these resources will be publicly available to members and non-members. In addition, ArchivesSpace members will be able to access technical support as questions arise as a benefit of their membership.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work to improve ArchivesSpace for everyone. We look forward to working with you to facilitate this important transition. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback.

Join us for the next ArchivesSpace Trainers Corps Office Hour, Friday, October 8th at 2pm ET/11am PT

The third ArchivesSpace Trainers Corps “Office Hour” will be Friday, October 8th at 2pm ET/11am PT. In these office hours, members of the ArchivesSpace Trainers Corps will demo a task or tool frequently used by ArchivesSpace users and take questions related to the demo and topic.

For this open call, the Trainers Corps will briefly explain how to import archival objects via Excel or CSV using the “Load via Spreadsheet” feature, which became available in ArchivesSpace beginning with v2.8.0.  (This feature was formerly known as the Harvard import plugin<https://github.com/harvard-library/aspace-import-excel>; those using ArchivesSpace v2.7 or earlier can still access it via the plugin.)  Following the presentation, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the topic, followed by a general Q&A about migration tools and data maps<https://archivesspace.org/using-archivesspace/migration-tools-and-data-mapping>. If you would like to suggest a topic for a future “Office Hour,” you can do so at https://forms.gle/unz3GmAbWwvpHjSr7.

ArchivesSpace Trainers Corps “Office Hour”
Date: October 8, 2021
Time: 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Topic: Using the Load via Spreadsheet function in ArchivesSpace

Registration: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqdOutrDMrHNVLZGMsiu539oOw0OVUPK-e

Throughout this year, the Trainers Corps has been offering regularly scheduled trainings and office hours covering a variety of topics on all things ArchivesSpace.  Registration for each training is separate and opens closer to each training date. Information about this training program is available at https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ADC/pages/2331148319/ArchivesSpace+Community-Wide+Virtual+Training.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org<mailto:ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org>.

Registration now open: Virtual ArchivesSpace Basics Workshop on October 18, 20, 25 and 27, 2021 from 12:00pm-2:30pm ET / 9:00am-11:30am PT

Registration is now open for the four-session Virtual ArchivesSpace Basics Workshop on October 18, 20, 25 and 27, 2021 from 12:00pm-2:30pm ET / 9:00am-11:30am PT.  During this workshop, trainers from the ArchivesSpace Trainers Corps will cover some of the most frequently used areas of the ArchivesSpace application.  Attendees are expected to attend all 4 sessions since each session will build on the lessons learned in the session before.

ArchivesSpace Basics Training - 4 sessions

Date: October 18, 20, 25 and 27, 2021

Time: 12:00pm-2:30pm ET / 9:00am-11:30am PT

Trainers: Miloche Kottman (University of Kansas) and Brittany Newberry (Atlanta University Center)

Registration: https://lyrasis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9zRa5tTqQZC7UQyX40HTgg

In order to make training available to as many organizations and users as possible, registration will be limited to three (3) attendees per organization for virtual trainings.

All community-wide virtual trainings will be recorded.  These recordings will be made available via the ArchivesSpace website and YouTube channel.  You do not need to register for the training to have access to the recordings.

While this training does not assume any prior experience with ArchivesSpace, attendees are expected to have an understanding of archival workflows and terminology.  Due to the large number of attendees, trainers will not be able to troubleshoot individual implementations of ArchivesSpace or provide additional archival instruction beyond the use of ArchivesSpace.

The Trainers Corps offers regularly scheduled workshops and office hours covering a variety of topics on all things ArchivesSpace.  These virtual, community-wide trainings are part of a 12-month pilot project by the Trainers Corps to assess community interest and training needs. Registration for each training will be separate and registration will open closer to each training date. Agendas and recordings from previous trainings can be found at https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ADC/pages/2331148319/ArchivesSpace+Community-Wide+Virtual+Training.

Please email ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org if you have any questions.

ArchivesSpace is participating in Hacktoberfest 2021

This October, ArchivesSpace will again be participating in Hacktoberfest<https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/>, a month-long celebration of open source software run by DigitalOcean. Hacktoberfest is open to anyone who contributes pull requests to participating open source repositories on GitHub or GitLab.

Whether you’re new to ArchivesSpace development or a long-time contributor, we encourage you to get involved. No specific background or skill level is required to get started, and all community contributions are welcome and appreciated. To learn more about submitting a pull request for ArchivesSpace specifically, visit our wiki.<https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ADC/pages/39682053/Submitting+a+Pull+Request>

To qualify for the official Hacktoberfest competition, you must register and make four pull requests between October 1-31. Pull requests can be made to any public repository on GitHub or GitLab, including ArchivesSpace<https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace>.  Any qualifying pull request submitted to the ArchivesSpace GitHub<https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace> between October 1 and October 31 will get a Hacktoberfest label.  To learn more about qualifying pull requests and how to notify Hacktoberfest of your pull requests, visit the official Hacktoberfest website<https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/resources/participation?mkt_tok=MTEzLURUTi0yNjYAAAF_stdPSUyGyqC_Ktqan1P6gMCRfs3fp2MIyRayBcOd9VbatAOkVC01RVZQ9hhscJSZzb-JvkQNE-_xCjMcnRGFL9g1yEeCP5w5WECTB_2B>.

In addition to the official Hacktoberfest swag options, ArchivesSpace will acknowledge all submitters, regardless of number of pull requests, in our October monthly update. The community member who submits the most pull requests in the month of October will receive an ArchivesSpace swag bag!  Last year’s winner of the coveted ArchivesSpace swag bag was Joshua Shaw from Dartmouth College.

We hope you will join us in this celebration of the open source community. Please email us at ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org<mailto:ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org> if you have questions or want to know more about contributing code to the ArchivesSpace GitHub<https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace>. To learn more about Hacktoberfest, visit their official website<https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/>.

Membership Update

We are excited to welcome our newest members to our community! Our new members since August 31 include:

  *   Acme Studios (London, UK)
  *   Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO)
  *   Greene County Records Center & Archives (Xenia, OH)
  *   Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc. (Saint Paul, MN)
  *   Ottawa University (Ottawa, KS)
  *   Kennedy Center (Washington, DC)

As of September, we have 449 General members, 21 Educational Program members, and 3 Registered Service Providers. If you are interested in your institution becoming a member of ArchivesSpace, please email us at ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org<mailto:ArchivesSpaceHome at lyrasis.org> for more information.

________________________________

ArchivesSpace monthly updates provide news about ArchivesSpace community and program activities and are sent to our member listservs, the ArchivesSpace Google Group, and SAA’s Collection Management Section listserv, as well as being posted on the ArchivesSpace website. Please feel free to share this update with people you know who have an interest in ArchivesSpace but may not be on one of these lists.

Jessica Dowd Crouch
Community Engagement Coordinator for ArchivesSpace
jessica.crouch at lyrasis.org<mailto:jessica.crouch at lyrasis.org>
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