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In an effort to improve entry level user experience and make new users immediately productive, DuraSpace, the not-for-profit organization supporting the DSpace and Fedora technologies, proposes the creation of KnowledgeBase. KnowledgeBase would be a set of on-line materials modeled after the Ruby on Rail's RailGuides (http://guides.rubyonrails.org/) and would include screencasts, text-based guide, Powerpoint slides, and, if available links to relevant video/webinar. The resources in KnowledgeBase would be collaboratively developed by DuraSpace, our Registered Service Providersthe user community, developers, service providers, committers , developers and user communitiesand the DuraSpace organization.

What are the goals of KnowledgeBase?

• KnowledgeBase is a framework designed to make users immediately productive with either DSpace or Fedora and help users understand how to set up and run and repository using either technology.
• KnowledgeBase aims to provide a framework and encourage community collaboration to produce a set of tools that will improve entry level DSpace and Fedora user experience.
• KnowledgeBase will describe/display what a DSpace or Fedora repository is, what challenges they can solve and how to get started.
• KnowledgeBase is not a duplication or replacement for the official software documentation for either DSpace or Fedora. Rather, it is intended to be a supplemental resource, including dynamic content delivered through various methods (written text, screencasts, presentation slides, webinar recordings, etc.) which describe specific examples to make the material as accessible as possible.

What is the strategy

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• Solicit feedback from the community on the value of KnowledgeBase - DONE AT OR11 6/2011
• Create a wiki space for KnowledgeBase - DONE (NOT YET PUBLIC)
• Establish a framework for all forms of KnowledgeBase content - DRAFT COMPLETE
• Develop an outline / table of contents of proposed topics to include  - DRAFT COMPLETE
• Develop sample content for a variety of delivery vehicles (text guide, screencast, etc.) - DRAFT COMPLETE
• Develop guidelines for content contributors - encourage bit sized contribution - DRAFT COMPLETE
• Create a proposed table of content outline and solicit feedback
• Create a unique wiki space
  • Design content in such a way that contributions can be made in small sections (not necessary to contribute all delivery methods pieces on a given topic, contributions can be made as time/expertise is available -- i.e., if contributors can only provide a text-based guide on a topic that can be done without needing to contribute a screencast or slides)
• Create examples for each delivery vehicle: (a) Screencast, (b) Text-based Guide, (c) Powerpoint based
• Solicit and integrate feedback from the community about the framework - LATE NOV/EARLY DEC
• Launch KnowledgeBase and solicit content contributions - MID DECDevelop a contributor process
• all materials need to be reviewed/approved - ensure information is accurate, copy is permanently stored in a repository
all contributors to sign license agreements - Apache 2 both ICLA (individual) and CCLA (corporate) licences, as well as Creative Commons on the content

What delivery tools are proposed?

• Create a separate set of DuraSpace wiki pages using the "Documentation Theme" , but with unique branding/headers so it is easily distinguishable from the rest of the wiki and the official documentation
• Use YouTube for streaming video / webinar recordings
• Use Slideshare for storing Powerpoint slides
• Copies Keep copies of all files permanently archived/stored in a repository

Example Topics

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Screenshot of KnowledgeBase 

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Draft Topic Outlines

Fedora 

• What is Fedora - Why use Fedora? - not mktg piece, help audience understand what Fedora does
  • What Fedora does really well and not so well
  • Why would you chose Fedora vs. DSpace (same content as in DSpace version)
• Fedora Concepts (START HERE)
  • What is a Fedora Object
  • What is a Fedora Repository
  • Content Modeling
    • Overview (surface level, for collection managers)
    • In depth, RDF, etc. version (for developers/integrators) (START HERE) 
• Installation and Setup (START HERE)
• Core Interfaces and Integrations:
  • REST API Overview
  • Semantic Web and Linked Data Overview
  • Storage - Overview and Plugins Available
  • Search - Blacklight, GSearch, RIsearch
  • Messaging - Written by UVA?
• Fedora Administration
  • Security
    • Authentication (Login) Overview
    • Authorization (Policy Enforcement) Overview
  • Logs
  • Backups and Restores
    • Using local storage
    • Using DuraCloud
  • Replication via Journaling
• Applications Built on Fedora
  • Hydra (Libra, Hydrangea, etc)
  • Islandora
  • DSpace (Future)

DSpace

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• What is DSpace - why use DSpace? - not mktg piece, help audience understand what DSpace does 
  • what DSpace does really well and not so well
  • why would you chose DSpace vs. Fedora (same content as in Fedora version)
• Topics regarding Installation/Setup:
  • Installing DSpace for the First Time - What you need to plan for, how to do it.
    • various Install Tips wiki pages:
      • Hints/Tips Installation page which provides examples of installing DSpace on various OSes 
      • Official Installation Docs
  • Overview of DSpace Interface Options (XMLUI, JSPUI, OAI, SWORD, LNI) - What to choose and how to make a decision 
  • Overview of DSpace directories & where data is stored in DSpace (high-level architecture overview).
  • Basic Configuration options – intro to the 'config' directory
  • Feature Overview
  • Intro to Upgrading DSpace
• Topics about getting started with UI Basics:
  • Overview of Communities & Collections - Create your first Community, Create your first Collection
  • Getting started with Adding Users / Groups
  • Getting started with DSpace Access Controls / Rights
  • Submit your first Item
  • Browsing & Searching DSpace
  • Editing your DSpace Profile, email notifications, etc.
• DSpace Administration:
  • Managing Content:
    • Administration options for Communities / Collections / Items (may need to be several webinars)
    • Changing Rights/Permissions on a Community / Collection / Item
    • Withdrawing / Deleting / Editing Items
    • "Mapping" / Linking Items to multiple Collections/Communities
    • Editing or Deleting Communities or Collections
    • Batch Metadata Editing
    • Metadata Authority Control
    • Adding a Custom Metadata Schema or Custom Metadata Fields
    • Enabling RSS Feeds
    • Improving your Indexing by Google / Google Scholar / Other Search Engines
  • Changing the UI or enabling optional features:
    • Intro to Handle Server?
    • Basics of customizing your Item Submission Process (change metadata fields, steps, etc)
    • Change "Browse By" options (add a new Metadata field to browse by)
    • Managing DSpace Access Statistics
    • Changing Header/Footer
    • Basic Intro to XMLUI Themes
      • Making DSpace XMLUI Your Own (2009 presentation by Tim) 
      • Learning to Use Manakin (2007 presentation by Scott Phillips)
      • Various XMLUI How-Tos at: XMLUI How To Guides. Ones most appropriate for an "intro to XMLUI" include: 
        • Manakin theme tutorial 
        • Create a new theme (Manakin) 
        • Install a theme (Manakin) 
        • Manakin Themes and Recipes 
        • Create a new aspect (Manakin) 
        • Install an Aspect (Manakin)
    • Adding "Discovery" (faceted browsing/searching)
    • Enabling Embargoing of content in Submission process
    • Enabling Creative Commons Licensing options in Submission process
    • Enabling OAI-PMH / SWORD / LNI (may need separate webinars)
  • Advanced Administration Tasks
    • Exporting/Importing bulk content
    • Backing up your DSpace instance
    • Scaling your DSpace instance / hints on improving performance
    • Migrating / Moving from one server to another
    • Moving / Copying one Community/Collection to another DSpace (via AIPs)
    • Curation Tasks
    • Configuring Media Filters (for file indexing and thumbnails)
    • Hooking DSpace up to your local Institution Authentication (LDAP, Shibboleth, etc)
    • Using the Checksum Checker (why/how)
    • Harvesting Content from an external source via OAI-PMH or OAI-ORE
    • Using DSpace with DuraCloud?

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