DSpace and DSpace-CRIS Potential Merger: Strategic Vision Deliverable - August 2025 Community Update
Maureen P. Walsh
No decision has been made at this point whether a merger will or will not occur.
Discussions remain ongoing, and we do not anticipate any decision until the Strategic and Technology Planning Groups complete their work by the end of the year (October - December 2025).
https://tally.so/r/mZLgjv
Maureen P. Walsh
Associate Professor
Scholarly Sharing Strategist
The Ohio State University
University Libraries
355A Thompson Library
1858 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-3330 Office
wals...@osu.edu
Dear DSpace Community,
As outlined in the October 2024 message from the DSpace Governance Chair Maureen Walsh, DSpace and DSpace-CRIS have been engaged in a collaborative planning process to explore the potential of future merger. This important work is being guided by two dedicated planning groups: the Strategy Planning Group and the Technology Planning Group.
Since both groups began meeting in February 2025, you may be wondering: What is the current status of the merger discussions? What progress has been made, and what can I expect in the coming months?
Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to share some updates:
No decision has been made at this point whether the merger will or will not occur. Neither the Strategy nor the Technology Planning Group has made their recommendations to DSpace Governance regarding the feasibility and implementation of a potential merger. Discussions remain ongoing, and we do not anticipate any decision until both groups complete their work by the end of the year (October - December 2025).
The Strategy Planning Group’s central deliverable - the Strategic Vision Document - has been submitted to the DSpace Steering Group for review and is currently being finalized. Once completed, this document will be shared with the entire DSpace community.
The Technology Planning Group has completed its analysis of the architectural and feature differences between DSpace and DSpace-CRIS. The group will now shift its focus to creating a first draft of a potential merger roadmap from a technical perspective.
DSpace Steering has approved the move of DSpace-CRIS documentation to the Lyrasis Wiki. A separate announcement with more information - including how you can contribute and support this effort - will be shared soon.
Early discussions in both groups have begun to clarify what a merged product might look like. If the merger were to occur, it would result in a unified product named DSpace, which would enhance (not replace) current DSpace. The product would retain the features of both current systems, while being configurable to allow institutions to decide which features to enable.
Finally, we want to stress how important your input is in this process. To ensure the Planning Groups hear from all corners of our community – and to give them the opportunity to incorporate your questions, concerns, and ideas in their discussions – we warmly invite you to share your feedback using the form below:
Thank you for your patience, continued engagement, and support, as we work together to shape the future of DSpace.
Warm Regards,
Agustina Martínez-García (Chair of Strategy Planning Group), Tim Donohue (Chair of Technology Planning Group) and Maureen Walsh (Chair of DSpace Steering Group)