How do I manage Bitstream metadata?

[industr...@gmail.com]

Bitstream files have metadata. How can I administer that, outside of the web forms? Setting a description for many images is tedious or even next to impossible for large numbers of files.

Is there any CSV import/export support for bitstreams? All I know of at present is for items and I am very pleased with those features.

With the new IIIF support, many images may now be presented as slideshows, using the bitstream description to describe the specific image, while the item description describes what is common to the entire group.

Will DSpace 7.2 add any new features to help this issue?

[Tim Donohue]

If I understand correctly, some of this may be improved in 7.2 (coming very soon, next week in fact)

In DSpace 7.2, the Bitstream metadata form will support IIIF metadata fields when IIIF is enabled for that Item.  So, you'll now see IIIF metadata fields like IIIF Label, IIIF Table of Contents, IIIF Canvas Width/Height.   See this PR: https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/pull/1438  (if you scroll midway down the page there's a screenshot or two)

In DSpace 7.2, it'll also be possible to import IIIF metadata when using Simple Archive Format.  See the updated documentation for the "contents" file (which describes bitstreams in an import package): https://wiki.lyrasis.org/display/DSDOC7x/Importing+and+Exporting+Items+via+Simple+Archive+Format#ImportingandExportingItemsviaSimpleArchiveFormat-contentsfile   It is also possible to use this import tool to *replace* existing items (using the --replace) flag.  However, you'd need to create a "fake" mapfile to pass in.

In DSpace 7.2, there's also a command-line tool to auto-populate IIIF canvas width/height in bulk across all images.  See https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/8074

Unfortunately though, there is no support for CSV import/export for bitstreams at this time. As you noted that's only possible for Items currently.

We do welcome ideas or code improvements here.  Much of this IIIF effort has been kindly donated by one developer (Michael Spalti).  I'm sure he'd appreciate it if others could collaborate in improving/enhancing the IIIF support.  I do realize however that not every institution has developers on staff to help in this way.  It is also possible to hire one of our DSpace Service Providers to build enhancements and give those back to the core , open-source DSpace product.

Tim