Integrations Survey Report and Recommendations
Authors: Elizabeth Dunham, Sarit Hand, Paige Monlux
Overview
In the 2021-22 term, the Integrations subteam focused on tweaking the Confluence pages with the tables of known integrations and data collected from a 2019 survey. Christine DiBella helped with the revisions of the pages. Categories of systems were standardized and definitions were generalized, eliminating out-of-date links and references to limit the need for constant updates.
The team also created a new survey to collect up-to-date data in order to create a readable layout of all the reported integrations and create a sustainable site requiring little to no revisions. The survey was intended to be reusable on either an annual or biannual basis and limit the work of the team to simply collecting that data and updating the pages with new information on integrations.
2022 Survey
The survey was completed and peer-reviewed. It was publicized in several listservs and groups and announced at the 2022 Annual ArchivesSpace Forum at the SAA conference in Boston. Based on the previous survey, a limited response was expected. The response was double what was expected, which was promising. The survey was open from August 2022 through the end of November in anticipation of having a couple of months to review the data, update the tables of integrations, and provide a summary report to TAC and the governance board with recommendations for future activities for the team and the survey by March 2023.
Survey Findings
The survey allowed not only for reporting on currently known integrations but also new integrations created by both users and developers. The majority of the responses were not integrations with systems utilizing the respective systems’ core code but predominantly integrations utilizing plugins. Plugins are many: ever changing from updates, new developments, or becoming core code. Full integration with other systems is a much slower process, particularly given that implementation has moved from home-grown systems to third-party proprietary development. Once they are reported, there is not much more to report. In fact, the responses reporting integrations with systems included 99% redundant information. Additional confusion is occasioned by the fact that many systems include multiple functionalities that have some form of integration: Preservica, for example, can be considered both a digital preservation and a content publication platform.
As a result of the widespread use of plugins, there now exists minimal difference between Awesome ArchivesSpace and Integrations as a separate entity. Awesome ArchivesSpace was originally formed to keep track of plugins, but should include all types of integrations given that most integrations work involves plugins. Further, Awesome ArchivesSpace falls under the purview of ArchivesSpace’s governance structure. In essence, it has been determined that Awesome ArchivesSpace is the umbrella under which the Integrations team has been operating.
The public pages are dense with detailed discussions around integrating with ArchivesSpace and should not need any further heavy editing or revisions unless major changes are made to ArchivesSpace or links are broken; most of the links are to static pages.
Significant findings from the survey include:
All respondents currently use ArchivesSpace.
Two non-US respondents (one Australian and one Dutch).
No implementations were hindered or prevented by lack of integrations.
Six additional integrations were reported that are not currently listed in the Integrations pages. Some, however, appear on the Awesome ArchivesSpace GitHub site.
Several respondents were from the same institution.
Most integrations are done via plugins/extensions.
Most development was outsourced.
Preservica, Aeon and Alma are the top systems being integrated that are not plugins.
2023-24 Term Goals
The Integrations subteam is reaching its end of life. During the 2023-24 term, the subteam will:
Incorporate the data about system integrations from Confluence to the Awesome ArchivesSpace Github site where information about all integrations, regardless of type, should reside as a one stop shop for anyone interested.
Simplify the survey so that it will be available on an ongoing basis.
Review the two current Integrations surveys that exist and combine them into a single survey that is available to the ASpace community on an ongoing basis
Find additional groups, listservs, etc. to get a more diverse set of respondents.
The subteam will disband by the end of the 2023-24 term.
Post-2024 Recommendations
The subteam’s Confluence pages will go into maintenance status.
The TAC vice-chair could monitor the sites for comments; ensure links are up-to-date; and address survey responses that come in periodically (survey to be updated in 2023-2024.)
(Re)establish the ad hoc Awesome ArchivesSpace Ad Hoc Working Group to convene on a biannual basis. The group will publicize the survey, identify new integrations (regardless of type), and update the Github site as the one true source of integrations listings and review the sites for any needed updating as a result of development or other reasons with stated work to be completed within that term year.
By following these recommendations, the Council can reassign limited resources, namely council members, to other ongoing priorities.