Samvera Connect 2023 Conference Celebrates In-Person Gathering of Global Community

Philadelphia, PA - Samvera Connect 2023, the much-anticipated conference of the Samvera Community, concluded on October 26th at the Philadelphia Marriott Old City, marking a triumphant return to in-person events after four years of virtual conferences. The conference brought together 78 attendees from five countries, fostering a sense of community solidarity and advancing the technical development and collaboration efforts of the Samvera community.

Samvera Connect is a pivotal event for the Samvera Community. Participants, including existing adopters, managers, developers, and newcomers, came together to synchronize their efforts and explore the latest developments with Samvera technologies. The event aimed to foster knowledge sharing, inspire innovation, and provide an opportunity to network with fellow professionals in the field.

The plenary day featured a State of Samvera update delivered by the Samvera Community Manager, Heather Greer Klein, along with updates from technology product owners and working groups. The keynote address was given by Paul D. Barclay, Professor of History at Lafayette College. His talk highlighted the institutional collaboration at Lafayette College surrounding the East Asia Image Collection (EAIC), a digital repository representing over a decade of collaboration between various stakeholders.

Scholarships played a crucial role in contributing to attendance and adding to the enrichment of the experience Qualified individuals applied for and were awarded scholarships sponsored by the Samvera Board and Hyku for Consortia (PALNI and PALCI) collaboration.

Pre-conference workshops were a highlight of the event, offering deep insights into Samvera technologies. Of particular note were the workshops on transitioning to Valkyrie connectors for Hyrax and Hyku repositories, offering back-end flexibility in curating digital collections. These hands-on sessions were well-received and provided attendees with practical knowledge to take back to their institutions.

Another significant moment during the plenary day was the presentation of the Julie Allinson Award, honoring an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Samvera Community. The award celebrates the late Julie Allinson, a beloved community member known for her mentorship, contributions, and dedication. The 2023 award recipient was Julie Hardesty from Indiana University, recognized for her exceptional technical leadership, invaluable mentorship, and relentless commitment to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the community.

The third day of the conference featured 17 presentations from Samvera technology adopters, highlighting implementations, challenges, and innovations in their local repositories. These presentations showcased the diverse and innovative ways that institutions are leveraging Samvera technologies to manage and provide access to their digital content.

Samvera Connect 2023 was a resounding success, not only for the invaluable technical knowledge shared but also for the sense of community and collaboration that was fostered during the conference. It serves as a testament to the strength and resilience of the Samvera Community, which remains dedicated to advancing digital repository technologies and their applications.

Resources from the conference are available on the Samvera wiki. For more information about the Samvera Community and future events, please visit www.samvera.org.

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