2021-2022 Tech Docs Retrospective

Accomplishments this term:

  • Worked with Lyrasis developers to implement Jekyll to build Tech Docs site from source files in Github repo, providing easier maintenance and improved user experience. This was mistakenly understood to be completed, but the work was only explored and not fully implemented.

  • Created documentation on external Solr in coordination with 3.2.0 release. Continued identifying areas of insufficient documentation and creating placeholders/stubs for them in the documentation Github repository.

  • Facilitated incremental improvements to documentation through pull requests and issues.

Areas for potential improvement:

  • Could have taken advantage of more opportunities to point to existing documentation in listserv responses, or to create new documentation based on listserv questions.

  • Could have taken advantage of release notes as places to update documentation.

  • Did not have enough time to devote to creating added-value documentation - videos, blog posts, etc.

Priorities for 2022-2023 term:

  • Solicit contributions to technical documentation from the ArchivesSpace community, prioritizing Solr and areas where placeholders have already been created

  • Clarify role of Tech Docs with regards to API Working Group and collaboration on endpoint documentation with developers.

Leadership for 2023-2023 term:

Co-Leads: Rachel Searcy

Vice-lead: TBD