ArchivesSpace v3.0.2, released 10/24/21

These release notes highlight some of the more significant changes added to ArchivesSpace between our current version (2.5.2) and 3.0.2. If you’re interested in a detailed view of what changed in each release, consult the ASpace github releases page. If you have comments or questions about the 3.0.2 release, share them with your colleagues by posting to the HL aspace-users discussion list. Post-release, the ASpace Working Group plans to offer virtual office hours for staff to discuss these changes.

⚠ User Manual links in these notes point to the core ArchivesSpace User Manual on the Lyrasis Confluence wiki. Access requires a free Confluence wiki account. If you need an account, sign up on the wiki login page.

Your repository’s custom settings for search and browse results came over in the migration to v3.0.2 but there are some changes in global defaults. And happily, you can customize your own defaults by going to the new User Preferences area (in staff mode, click the down arrow next to your login name).

ArchivesSpace has changed how language of materials and language of description are recorded in the resource to make this area of the application more standards-compliant. Given the different ways language metadata can be recorded in ASpace, our migration to version 3.0.2 may produce some messy outcomes. The Library’s ASpace Working Group (ASWG) will coordinate a cleanup effort post-release. More information about these changes is in the User Manual.

Language of Materials

• Language dropdown (previously in the Basic Information subrecord) is now required and has moved to a new Language subrecord. A new optional Script dropdown has also been added.

⚠ Resources that don’t have a language selected from the dropdown will migrate to v3.0.2 but users may have to add a language before saving the record.

• Language of Material note will migrate to the Language of Materials note in the new Languages subrecord.

Language of Description

• Language and script of description are new required fields in the Finding Aid Data subrecord.
• Records will migrate into the new version with “Undetermined” in the Language of Description dropdown and “Code for undetermined script” in the Script of Description dropdown.

In 2019-2020, a Harvard Library task force contributed a bundle of top container/location enhancements to ArchivesSpace core code. These goodies come with v3.0.2, so enjoy! Below are highlights; see the task force’s wiki page for a more detailed list of enhancements. 

• Spreadsheet ingest to create & link containers (User Manual) 
• Bulk functions (User Manual) 
• Browse and create Container Profiles from main Browse/Create dropdowns
• New “Has Location” option on the Manage Top Containers screen

The popular plugin (developed by Harvard Library) that supports bulk importing by spreadsheet of archival objects and digital objects is now part of ArchivesSpace core code. It’s been enhanced with a wider selection of fields, but should otherwise be very familiar. Consult the User Manual for more information. 

⚠ To use the new version of spreadsheet import, be sure to grab the updated spreadsheet templates (.xlsx) on the ASpace github site. Your existing spreadsheets are not compatible with v3.0.2.

The Agents module has been completely revamped, offering greater compliance with metadata standards used to describe persons, families, and corporate entities i.e. MARCXML authority and EAC-CPF. See the User Manual for details.

• Biblioteca Berenson, I Tatti (The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies) materials are now requestable via Aeon (HOLLIS Special Request).
• Collection overview in finding aid display: The expandable panel of notes and administrative information in the lower half of the Collection Overview is now expanded by default. 
• Citation pop-up window now uses two tabs to separately cite the item and the item description (to be more DACS-compliant).
• In browse and search result lists, the number of entries per page has increased from 10 to 25.