Batch Bitstreams and Metadata import using SAFBuilder in Dspace: A Practical Experience

Abstract

Digital repositories play a crucial role in organizing and preserving vast collections of digital content. Efficiently ingesting large amounts of data into these repositories is a common challenge faced by institutions. This paper explores the use of bulk upload techniques in DSpace, an open-source digital repository software, to streamline the ingestion process and enhance repository management. We discuss the benefits of bulk upload in terms of time savings, metadata consistency, and scalability. Additionally, we delve into the technical aspects of implementing bulk upload in DSpace, covering the Simple Archive Format (SAF), metadata mapping, and handling of digital files. Furthermore, we highlight realworld examples and best practices for utilizing bulk upload in DSpace. By adopting this approach, institutions can significantly improve their efficiency in managing and preserving digital content, ensuring a seamless user experience, and facilitating knowledge dissemination. Here, an experimental method of research/ case study technique is utilized to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the design model for implementation of the bulk uploading of documents in Dspace at Bennett University is practiced. The feedback is gathered in order to identify the flaws and make the necessary improvements. Simple Archive Format (SAF) is a utility that converts Bitstream/Content files plus a metadata.csv file into a Simple Archive Format package, making bulk uploads to the DSpace repository simple. All question papers were digitized using a high-quality scanner, an Excel file with Dublin core information was created, and Excel was converted to CSV format in order to import all old question papers in bulk into the Bennett University Digital Repository Services. The study indicates that it is essential to pay close attention to the precise format of metadata leveraging the Dublin core and the file's location. It is an experiment conducted by the Bennett University Library and the research was confined to Bennett University digital repository.