DSpace 2.0 and 1.5.2 XMLUI Enhancements to Modularity
Open Repositories 2009, Atlanta, GA, USA

DSpace 2.0 will support modular capabilities at multiple levels of its architecture. While the DSpace Kernel will provide a means to share Services and Configuration detail across multiple deployed web applications within a Servlet Container, the DSpace XMLUI has been ported to Cocoon 2.2, which includes support for the dynamic deployment of "Service Blocks". Blocks enhance the DSpace XMLUI web-application to support not just the Manakin Aspects deployed at assembly time, but also additional services (or servlets) that may be accessed and replaced polymorphically. The lessons learned from the migration of DSpace 2.0 to use Cocoon 2.2 have been back-ported to DSpace 1.5.2.

By migrating DSpace 1.5.2 to Cocoon 2.2 we are now able to utilize the same Block support to allow DSpace Manakin XMLUI users to more easily add their modules into the Core. We will discuss the Cocoon 2.2 Block capability and review an example Block that will introduce new Services, Manakin Aspects and Theme additions into the DSpace XMLUI web application, showing how it assists in keeping customizations cleanly separated and manageable by the developer.

Click here to download the full paper (9.27MB PDF - In English)

DSpace 2.0 Presentation
Open Repositories 2009, Atlanta, GA, USA

During the last 9 months, the DSpace 2.0 development team has been working on solutions to drastically improve the data model for DSpace. In this presentation, Ben Bosman presented the impact of the improvements to the data model and gave a first public demo of the DSpace 2.0 functionality.

The new DSpace 2.0 Data Model is significantly more generic than the DSpace 1.x Data Model and is focused on providing a solution to the observed shortcomings and recommendations that have been made by the community. The model offers storage of metadata properties on all of its model entities, providing a more flexible environment to describe and organize content. Initiatives to express structured metadata such as Dublin Core, OAI-ORE, FoaF, Bibliontology and DCMI Application Profiles (including SWAP) provide a suite of clearly defined concepts for describing relationships between dspace entities, while information models such as the DCMI DescriptionSetProfile provide a theoretical and practical basis for describing and constraining structured graphical metadata.

We are working to assure that DSpace 2.0 is designed in a manner that will support for the creation and management of complex structural metadata compatible with these initiatives. The demo will focus on three areas of improvements in DSpace 2.0. Firstly, the demo will show the flexibility of the data model, using an example set of entities and a set of relations between the entities. Secondly, the concept of metadata properties will be illustrated by editing an entity to attach new metadata properties. Finally, the demo will show file uploading to illustrate relationships between those files and other entities. While DSpace 2.0 design and development is not yet complete, we feel this demonstration will reflect that the work completed to date will provide a firm foundation for the new architecture.

Click here for the video recording
Click here to download the full paper (6.28MB PDF - In English)

Reusing open-access content using authoring tools by Lieven Droogmans
Open Repositories 2009, Atlanta, GA, USA

@mire, with the support of the Flemish government, has developed a prototype in order to investigate the possibilities and usability of using open access repositories in the entire life-cycle of academic research, authoring as well as publishing. Several experiments have been conducted to test the feasibility of integrating open access repositories with authoring software tools and workflows. This leads to answers on the question: How can a repository aid a scholar in writing a (research) paper or prepare slides for a presentation? @mire had created a prototype setup and conducted usability testing. @mire is a repository service provider, mainly active in the DSpace community, dedicated to promoting and enhancing the use of open access repositories in academic & research institutions.

Click here to download the full paper (Word or PDF - in English)

Ensure Online Access to your Digital Assets
Workshop on Institutional Repositories, Pretoria, SA

In his presentation, Bram Luyten gave a general introduction to DSpace and discussed In-house hosted repositories vs external hosted solutions.

Following the need for training and support on implementing institutional repositories in developing (and also in some instances developed) countries, a 4th Institutional Repository Workshop will be hosted by the University of Pretoria (South Africa) during 2009.

The aim of this workshop will be to equip colleagues from all sectors with the necessary skills to implement a digital repository - from compiling and implementing an e-strategy, conducting a needs analysis, compiling a business plan, proposal, installing the necessary software (we will be using DSpace open source software), digitization and copyright issues, up to giving exposure to the repository and the role of librarians and faculty.

More information is available on the Workshop Website

Click here to download the full presentation (2.5MB PDF - in English)

Assessing and executing strategic repository opportunities
La proyección de los repositorios, Madrid, ESP

In his presentation "Assessing and executing strategic repository opportunities", Bram Luyten aimed to provide repository administrators and enthusiasts with strategic arguments and tools to improve the context of their repository projects.

The last part of the presentation covered techniques to (re-) vitalize repository projects, where three typical situations were be tackled: the Empty Box Syndrome, Lack of Interest and Arising Complaints or Opposition.

When the next speaker, Stuart Shieber (Harvard University) introduced the progress and approach of Harvard's IR project, he confirmed the issues pointed out by Bram Luyten and that Harvard had used similar strategies to tackle them.

Click here to download the full presentation (2.6MB PDF - in English)

LIRIAS presentation
TEMPUS workshop, Zadar, CR.

Bram Luyten presented the approach and key learnings from K.U. Leuven's Institutional Repository project DSpace. The context of this meeting was a TEMPUS (EU) project, in which delegates from Croatian Universities and research institutions interact with institutions for EU member states, in order to lay the foundation for science and research policies in Croatia.

Although Croatia is an upcoming force within the European academic research landscape, it was very interesting to see that some impressive infrastructures were already in place. One example is the presence of national researcher identifiers, that will enable to track a researcher throughout his whole career at different institutions.

Click here to download the full presentation (3.5MB PDF - in English)

LIRIAS presentation
Norwegian delegation, Leuven, BE.

At the end of May, a delegation from leading Norwegian academic institutions and government bodies, visited Belgium. @mire presented its contribution to the LIRIAS project from K.U. Leuven.

Click here to view the presentation

DSpace for Research Evaluation
Open Repositories 2008, Southampton, UK.

On the 2nd of April, Bram Luyten of @mire presents a paper titled "Research evaluation - techniques and requirements for using DSpace to aid in evaluating the work of researchers" at the DSpace User Group track at Open Repositories 2008, Southampton, UK.

Click here to view the presentation

DSpace as a Conference Management Repository
DSpace User Group Meeting, Rome, IT

This presentation outlines why and how @MIRE transformed the DSpace platform to create a hosted conference management repository service.

Click here to download the full presentation (3.4MB PDF - in English)

Leuven Institutional Repository and Information Archiving System
DSpace User Group Meeting, Rome, IT

In this presentation, Bram Luyten elaborated on the LIRIAS project. This is a customized DSpace for K.U. Leuven, Belgium, currently in the second phase of a three tier approach. As the installation reaches a certain maturity in its second year of activity, we wish to share findings and learn from others, in order to face upcoming challenges. As from mid-april 2007, more than half of the 1.800 monthly unique LIRIAS visitors came from outside the university, thus fulfilling its function as a web publishing tool. As a strategic technology partner, @mire delivers consultancy and custom development for K.U.Leuven.

Not only has LIRIAS been designed to become the institute's research repository, it also needed to fulfill important functions in the process of evaluating academic staff (research output measurement) and academic bibliography management.

Click here to download the full presentation (1.83MB PDF - in English)