--apologies for cross-posting--

AVAILABLE NOW: DSpace 7 Preview Release

The first preview release of DSpace 7 is now available for download, testing, and feedback. Demo sites are also available for a preview of DSpace 7 features.

DSpace 7 brings to DSpace a single, modern user interface and REST API and integrates current technological standards and best practices. This new UI combines with the existing core backend of DSpace 6, resulting in a lean, responsive, next-generation repository.

The preview release provides a first look at many of the new features that make DSpace 7 the largest development effort in the history of the software:

• New Angular UI that is modern, responsive, and built using a Bootstrap theme for easy customization.
• A completely redesigned REST API that is self-documenting and human browsable.
• Redesigned submissions and workflows featuring a one page submission process with a drag-and-drop interface, and automatic metadata extraction from common formats like PDFs.
• Configurable entities, an optional new item type inspired by the DSpace-CRIS project that allows for complex linked relationships between items. DSpace 7 will include the option to implement this feature for two use cases popular with the DSpace community:
  • Journal Hierarchy: create and link objects for a Journal, Volume, Issue, Article, and Author
  • Faculty & Organizational Units: a lightweight, CRIS-like option to represent Projects, Faculty, Department/Unit, Publication, etc.

Configurable entities help to better align DSpace with Next Generation Repository recommendations related to Identifiers as well as alignment with OpenAIRE v4.

DSpace 7 builds on DSpace 6 to create a modern and future-focused repository. The backend restructuring from DSpace 6 is retained and combined with the features above to create a powerful repository designed to address current user needs and plan for future standards.  

DSpace 7 is the first version of DSpace to be developed using test-driven development practices designed to identify and address issues earlier in the development process and lead to more stable releases. It is also the first release to use a working group model for decisions related to design and development.

Blog Post Translations

Translations of this announcement are available in several languages for distribution to DSpace user groups around the world.

We need your help!

If you’re interested in testing and providing feedback on this preview release and future releases of DSpace 7, you may wish to view the recent webinar “DSpace Docker for Repository Managers: Running Any Version of DSpace from your Desktop.”

Aside from testing, other areas where all contributions are welcome:

• Translating the DSpace user interface into your language
• Work on DSpace 7 documentation

Download the DSpace 7 Preview release

If you notice any bugs or issues with the Preview release, please report them immediately to our issue tracker: https://jira.duraspace.org/browse/DS

An enhanced Preview release is anticipated this summer, and the DSpace 7 Beta release and information about the DSpace 7 Testathon will be announced later this year. You can learn more at the DSpace 7 Release Status page.

A big thank you to the DSpace community for all the work that has led to this Preview release, particularly the DSpace 7 Working Group, Entities Working Group, DSpace Committers, and DSpace Leadership and Steering groups.