The Hydra-in-a-Box Survey on Digital Repositories

Hydra-in-a-Box is a collaborative project funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services' National Digital Platform program to design, build, and deliver digital repository software that supports networked resources and services for digital collections. The project team conducted a web-based survey of the digital library, archives, and museum community in July 2015. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the digital repository solutions that institutions are currently using, the types and sizes of content they are managing, their likes and dislikes with current software, and what features they’d like to see in future repository software. The team is using the survey data to better understand the current landscape of repository solutions in use by libraries, archives, and museums, and to inform the Hydra-in-a-Box product design process.

For purposes of this survey, a repository is defined as: a system or service used intentionally to manage digital resources (files and metadata) for discovery, access, and/or preservation. A repository is not the same as a file system or a back-up of a file system. A repository may be open source or proprietary. A repository may be operated locally or by a third-party service provider.