What is DCAT?

The DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT) represents the interests of repository managers and administrators across the globe and, indirectly, DSpace end users. DCAT is a permanent DSpace Working Group sponsored by the DSpace Steering Group that advises DSpace Program governance groups. We welcome feedback and participation from anyone in the community.

Date & Time

• Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 12:00 Eastern Time
• See the world clock to determine the meeting time for your location.
• Meeting length: one hour

Join information:

We will be using the DCAT Chair's Zoom Room for our meeting.

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://arizona.zoom.us/j/81605358751 (Meeting ID: 816 0535 8751 Passcode: dspace)

Additional ways to join: DCAT Chair Zoom Room

Agenda:

• Announcements
   
  • Housekeeping
    • Sign up for the DCAT Google Group: https://groups.google.com/g/DSpaceCommunityAdvisoryTeam
    • Do you have a DSpace wiki account? Email wikihelp@lyrasis.org for an account
    • DSpace Community Events Calendar: https://dspace.org/events/
      
      
  • DCAT Updates
    • DCAT Chair nominations submitted to DSpace Steering Group
    • UX Working Group Final Report on DSpace Steering Group agenda 9/10/2025

• • DSpace 9 Q & A webinar with DSpace Technical Lead Tim Donohue and Program Coordinator Holger Lenz
  • Resources at this link including: 
    • Recording of the webinar
    • Presentation slide deck
    • Q+A Google Document (now updated with answers to all questions)

Upcoming Events:

• • USRN Community Conversation (USRN = US Repository Network)

    • Thursday, September 11 from 2–3pm ET / 11–12pm PT.

    • This session will focus on Repository Management challenges, including:
      • Staffing and expertise
      • Encouraging faculty participation
      • Maintaining metadata quality and consistency
    • Learn more and register: https://sparcopen-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/jnLtz689RgCq4MLDMQYhWw#/registration

• • DSpace Virtual Coffee Hour with Holger Lenz
    • September 16, 2025 - 1:00 pm UTC - 2:00 pm UTC
    • Do you have questions about the DSpace Community? Do you wonder how to get involved? Are you interested in becoming a DSpace member, but are not sure where to start? Join us for the monthly virtual DSpace Coffee Hour!
    • https://dspace.org/events/dspace-virtual-coffee-hour-3-2025-09-16/
      
      

  • 4Science Academy Webinar: DSpace Submission forms: Enhancing GLAM Repositories

    • Discover how tailored submission forms can simplify data entry, improve metadata quality, and empower cultural heritage institutions with more flexible workflows.

    • September 18, 2025 - 10:30 am EDT
    • Learn more and register: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/af5b5c6a-2fd4-46ae-a57a-317d753ae957@1d2fb688-47ea-4f12-9da3-c222aa05a78c

• • Exploring the Potential Merger of DSpace and DSpace-CRIS (Q+A Session)
    • September 30, 2025 - 2 pm UTC
    • Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/dspace-merger

• Presentations:
  
  • Error Reporting with HAR Files
    • Kent Gerber, University of Minnesota Libraries, will demonstrate how to use the Chrome browser “Developer Tools” feature to create a HAR file which can be used to report network errors you experience while using DSpace. A HAR (HTTP Archive) file is a JSON-formatted log of a web browser's interaction with a website, capturing network requests and responses to help diagnose performance issues, errors, and other web-related problems. This demonstration continues this topic from the August 2025 DCAT meeting.

• • DSpace Governance
    • Kimberly Chapman, DCAT Chair, will provide a brief outline of DSpace membership and DSpace Governance, especially as related to DCAT.
      • The DCAT Annual Report will be presented at the October meeting, for feedback prior to distribution to the DSpace Steering Group.

• Group Activities

• • Follow up on "Import Metadata from External Sources"
    • This feature is active on https://demo.dspace.org/home for those who wish to troubleshoot issues discussed at the August meeting
    • Continue discussion of developing default Instructional Text to help users understand how to effectively import metadata from external sources
      • See https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xw9hFujOF-SCFfi0opCLgpUTdodhciXGE0vAXnp6Xw4/edit?usp=sharing

• • Editable Space at Beginning of Submission Forms
    • See https://groups.google.com/g/dspace-community/c/uhZ9pdBJlWk/m/WF5hR9_XCQAJ
      • Has anyone done this in their DSpace repository
      • Is this a feature that DCAT should advocate for?

Notes:

All Open Repositories 2025 Presentations in Zenodo: https://zenodo.org/communities/openrepos/records?q=&f=subject%3AOR2025&l=list&p=1&s=10&sort=newest

Call Attendees

Kimberly Chapman , University of Arizona Libraries

Paul Gatavu 

Iryna Kuchma EIFL

Colin Lukens 

Regrets