Dear colleagues,
I am writing to provide an update on the DRS Modernization (“DRS Futures”) project, which aims to modernize the Harvard Library Digital Repository Service. The project, funded by ITCRB (Harvard IT Capital Review Board), was officially launched at the beginning of FY23 and is expected to span three years. The project consists of three main phases: Discovery, Planning, and Implementation, with the new service release planned for Summer 2025.
In the Discovery phase of the Project, Harvard Library and Library Technology Services conducted various activities to gather requirements and engage with stakeholders. In February and March 2023, we conducted the DRS Futures Stakeholder Survey to gather feedback. Following this, the Digital Repository Services (DRS) Futures Remote Focus Groups were organized between March and May 2023. These focus groups aimed to facilitate discussions on workflows, future vision, and pain points related to long-term preservation of digital content.
We are pleased to announce that the DRS Futures Focus Groups Engagement Report is now available on the DRS Futures project website. This report provides valuable insights and recommendations based on the discussions held during the focus groups.
We received an overwhelming response to the focus groups, with 76 registrations and 56 participants. Approximately 41% of the participants attended more than one focus group, representing approximately 39 departments.
The focus groups were designed with the following goals in mind:
- Articulate preservation services and functions that should be retained, identify challenges and pain points, and explore opportunities for growth in the next generation of DRS.
- Foster exchanges between user communities and networks of engagement to gain a comprehensive understanding of how DRS stakeholders are interacting with the service.
- Collect user stories to identify immediate, anticipated, and aspirational needs for different functional areas of the DRS system, which will help inform user requirements.
As we now engage in writing formal functional requirements for the new Digital Repository Service solution, we immensely appreciate your active participation in the DRS Futures project. Your input is invaluable in shaping the future of the Digital Repository Service.
If you have any further comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to us at drs-futures-feedback@HU.onmicrosoft.com.
Thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
Vitaly Zakuta
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Vitaly Zakuta
Senior IT Project Manager | Library Technology Services
Harvard University Information Technology
P: 617-998-5459 | W: huit.harvard.edu
(he / him / his)