DSpace Community Newsletter: March 2025

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2026! Much has happened in the DSpace Community since the start of the new year and we are happy to share a summary of exciting news and updates with you.

In this newsletter, you will learn about a new DSpace staff member, get progress updates on the work of merging DSpace-CRIS into DSpace, and hear news from our Registered Service Providers.

If you would like to receive the newsletter and are not yet subscribed, please subscribe. (If you subscribe, Lyrasis will only send emails pertaining to the DSpace Community Newsletter.)

TECHNICAL UPDATES

DSpace 10.0 Update

Development work towards the next major DSpace version (10.0) is in full swing and progressing steadily. The release schedule for 10.0 has been finalized and the 10.0 release is planned for early June 2026. This release will include a subset of DSpace-CRIS features (to be announced) along with any donated community contributions which do not conflict with the ongoing merger. To learn more, see the “DSpace and DSpace-CRIS Merger” community update below.

Testathon

Each year, community volunteers from all around the world assist DSpace developers in testing the new DSpace version before its official release. This year’s Testathon will run for three consecutive weeks from April 6-24, 2026. Anyone interested in contributing is welcome to participate. To learn more about the Testathon and how to get involved, visit the DSpace 10.0 Testathon wiki page.

PROGRAM UPDATES

New DSpace Staff Member

In January, the DSpace Program was thrilled to welcome Lia Eggleston, who joins the DSpace program staff in her role as Technical Support Engineer. This new role will help ensure the success of DSpace users and volunteer contributors alike. Among other responsibilities, Lia will oversee the Pull Request process and the bug ticket queue, contribute to initial verification and testing of changes, offer technical assistance to the DSpace user community, and contribute to the DSpace documentation and training materials. Please join us in welcoming Lia!

COMMUNITY UPDATES

DSpace and DSpace-CRIS Merger

Development work to merge DSpace into DSpace-CRIS is well underway. As of early February 2026, all DSpace-CRIS features that will be ported into DSpace have been logged in tickets on GitHub. As of early March 2026, developers have created Pull Requests for over half of those tickets, and several PRs have already been merged into DSpace and will be part of the 10.0 release this June. Follow our public roadmap on GitHub to stay up to date with the latest developments in the merger process.

Community Events

2026 German User Group Meeting (Praxistreffen)

The DSpace German National User Group held its annual Praxistreffen from March 9-11, 2026, in Lüneburg. Presentations were recorded and made available to the DSpace community via the Praxistreffen wiki page. To learn more about the Praxistreffen, and to view this year’s program and recordings, visit the 2026 Praxistreffen wiki page.

REGISTERED SERVICE PROVIDER UPDATES

We are happy to share the following news from our Registered Service Providers (RSPs). For a list of all Registered Service Providers and to learn more about the RSP Program, please visit our website.

Service Provider News

If we missed any news, please email us with your news to add to the DSpace News area of the website and our social accounts.

COMMUNITY NOTE

Institutions seeking professional support for DSpace are encouraged to work with DSpace Registered Service Providers (RSPs).

RSPs are committed to supporting the DSpace platform and contributing to its open source sustainability. While various companies offer their services for the hosting, installation, customization, and maintenance of DSpace, working with an RSP helps ensure alignment with community best practices and long-term development.

If you would like to receive the newsletter and are not yet subscribed, please subscribe. (If you subscribe, Lyrasis will only send emails pertaining to the DSpace Community Newsletter.)

REGISTRY

Is your DSpace repository listed in the registry? Help us maintain reliable information on the community of DSpace users around the world by registering your repository today.

GET INVOLVED

DSpace Community Advisory Team (DCAT)

The DSpace Community Advisory Team holds monthly open Zoom meetings for repository managers, developers and users of DSpace.

DSpace Developers Meeting

DSpace Committers and Community Developers hold a weekly meeting every Thursday. Anyone is welcome to attend. Topics may include release planning, reviewing upcoming code changes, and other technical discussions.

A Coffee with Holger: Meet-Up with the DSpace Program Coordinator

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!

This event series, which takes place on every 3rd Tuesday of the month, provides an informal opportunity to ask questions, discuss ideas and suggestions, connect with other members in the DSpace Community, or just say "Hi" and introduce yourself.

Watch out for announcements and more information on the DSpace Community Google Group!

DSpace Deep Dive Webinar Series

Would you like to share your insights with the DSpace community? Whether you would like to highlight a specific DSpace feature, present on workarounds or creative solutions, share a migration story, or show how your repository deals with AI bot attacks – any topic relevant to the DSpace community is welcome.

Visit the DSpace website and fill out the sign-up form at the bottom of the page, or get in touch directly via info@dspace.org!

ABOUT LYRASIS

Lyrasis, a nonprofit membership organization, partners with member libraries, archives and museums to create, access, preserve and manage information, with an emphasis on digital content, while building and sustaining collaboration, enhancing operations and technology, and increasing buying power. Lyrasis is the organizational home of DSpace and coordinates this newsletter.