PhilaPlace
an interactive picture of Philadelphia's rich history, culture and architecture.
Roadmap

CollectiveAccess is a family of applications that work together to provide a seamless cataloguing, collections management and collections publishing platform. Each component serves a specific function and may be downloaded separately. This roadmap describes planned development for each component over the next 12 months.

Providence
Providence is the core cataloguing tool and database application used to manage and describe your collection. All other components rely upon the catalogue managed by Providence, so this should be the first CollectiveAccess component you download!

Version 0.6 – Expected release date: June 2010
Version 0.6 is a major upgrade over the old CollectiveAccess 0.5x line, with a completely overhauled data model designed to better support multilingual cataloguing and customized metadata structures, and a refreshed user interface. A much more granular user access model makes it possible to restrict access to software features, to specific fields or to individual rows on the user or group basis. And a host of other new features will enhance CollectiveAccess' ability to integrate with other systems, present time-based media and better handle a wide range of collections management activities. Highlights include:
  • Redesigned user interface. A refreshed user interface features simplified navigation and better use of screen space.
  • Simplified installation process. The installer and overall installation process has been redesigned for simplicity and increased automation.
  • Auto-configuration system for compliance with widely used metadata standards. The installer can automatically configure CollectiveAccess with fields from common metadata standards.
  • Revised data model supports polyhierarchies, multi-lingual fields, additional user-defined field types and web-service lookups for attributes. The revised model is designed to support multi-lingual cataloguing, brings the controlled vocabulary structures in line with the SKOS standard, allows for poly-hierarchies and provides for highly customized metadata structures.
  • Improved support for configuration of user interface. It is possible to place user-defined attribute fields on user-defined "screens," create complex values composed of many attributes and to disable the visibility of unused software features.
  • Support for multiple custom user interfaces. Any number of customized user interfaces for editing objects, vocabularies and authorities may be specified and made accessible to selected users. Thus, simplified user interfaces for specific tasks (e.g. uploading images) or staff members (e.g. special "intern" editing interfaces) can be created.
  • Search interface creator. Enables users to create their own set of search forms for various situations; also allows system administrators to define search forms for general use.
  • Faceted browse. A configurable faceted browse is available, leveraging authority cataloguing to provide an intuitive way to explore content.
  • Granular access control. Access to software features, specific fields and individual object records can be controlled by user or group.
  • Localized user interface. The user interface is available in English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Czech and Serbian with additional languages to follow.
  • APIs for development of user-accessible functionality and data validation. "Plug-in" interfaces facilitate development of data input validation, web service consumption, media processing and more.
  • Expanded time-based cataloguing tools. Improved Flash-based tools make efficient time-based cataloguing of audio and video possible.
  • Enhanced support for loans, dispatch and shipping management. User interface elements for managing loans shipping and other museum activities can be configured in 0.6, replacing the hard-coded ad-hoc tools of CollectiveAccess 0.5x.
  • Support for user-created shareable sets of objects or authority items. Users can create arbitrarily ordered sets of objects or authority items and share the sets with others, or use them as the basis of searches, reports or label runs.
  • File-storage service layer with Fedora and IRODS integration. A file storage programmers interface is implemented, enabling CollectiveAccess to store uploaded media, documents and associated derivatives on any medium for which a plug-in has been developed.
  • Full-text search support for PDFs and MSWord documents. The text content of PDF and MSWord object representations can be indexed for search-ability.
  • Support for additional media types, including JPEG-2000, h.264 video compression, DPX, OpenEXR and Adobe DNG.

Version 1.0 – Expected release date: September 2010
Version 1.0 will round out CollectiveAccess' set of general-purpose museum collections management features and set the stage for subsequent development of discipline-specific data management and workflow modules:
  • Batch cataloguing tools for object and authority items.
  • REST and SOAP-based data query, access and submission services.
  • Mapping of media-embedded metadata to CollectiveAccess fields. It is possible to map embedded metadata fields in uploaded media to CollectiveAccess attributes in 1.0.
  • OAI-PMH support. CollectiveAccess can function as an OAI provider in 1.0.
  • Field and record level access control.
  • Data import. Creation of custom mappings from data in tab-delimited, CSV, EAD and other formats to CollectiveAccess data fields will be supported.
  • Data export. Creation of custom mappings from data in CollectiveAccess to tab-delimited, CSV, EAD and other formats will supported.
  • Improved reporting. User definable search interfaces for reports are available in the reporting interface and printable PDF output of reports are implemented.

Pawtucket
Pawtucket is a public-access module providing a friendly web-based search and browse interface to collections data, as well as interactive functionality such as user tagging, commenting, rating and user-generated slideshows. You can use Pawtucket to easily make any sub-set of your collections data publicly available on the web.

Version 0.6 – Expected release date: June 2010
"Pawtucket" is a complete rewrite of CA-Access featuring compatibility with Providence, easier customization and many new capabilities. Highlights include:
  • Display of time-based cataloguing for audio and video assets. A Flash-based audio/video player with support for display of time-based cataloguing is available.
  • User generated sets and shareable "slideshows." A facility allowing users to assemble, order, annotate, view and share sets of objects or authority items is implemented.
  • User tagging. Mediated user tagging of objects and authority items is supported.
  • User commenting. Mediated user commenting and rating of objects is supported.
  • Object/authority usage tracking. Viewing statistics for detail views are now recorded and can be made available for analysis or generation of "favorites" pages.
  • Multilingual display. Content and user interface may be displayed in any number of languages. Content is displayed in the user's preferred language with intelligent fallback when language-appropriate content is unavailable.
  • Curated sets. Curated sets of objects created in Providence can be displayed as publicly accessible "exhibits" in Pawtucket.
  • Faceted browse. A configurable faceted browse leveraging authority cataloguing to provide an intuitive way to explore content.
  • RSS and ATOM feeds. Feeds for newly created items and stored searches.

Version 1.0 – Expected release date: September 2010
  • Printable information pages for objects and authority details. The ability to output customizable object and authority item information pages suitable for printing (in PDF format) is planned.
  • Integration with social media.
  • Compatibility with mobile devices.
  • OpenSearch compatibility.
  • Integrated mapping of search and browse results.
  • Dynamic generation of timelines from search and browse results.

Woonsocket
Woonsocket is a native iPhone application that enables mobile users to search and browse collections data from any participating CollectiveAccess-based data provider. It is essentially an iPhone-native implementation of Pawtucket functionality. Since Woonsocket is open-source you can use the code as the basis of your own custom mobile search application.

Version 0.6 – Expected release date: October 2010
The first "Woonsocket" release will include basic search and browse functionality:
  • Fulltext collections search.
  • Faceted browse of collections. A configurable faceted browse leveraging authority cataloguing to provide an intuitive way to explore content.

Version 1.0 – Expected release date: December 2010
  • Viewing of curated sets.
  • Mapping of items and curated sets (eg. tours).
  • Bookmarking of items for playback as slideshows.
  • Sharing of bookmarks.

Pascoag
Pascoag is a full-screen kiosk front-end, developed in Adobe Flash/AIR and compatible with Windows and Mac OS X workstations. It provides search, faceted browse and curated access to collections catalogued with CollectiveAccess and supports high-quality display/playback of audio, video and high-resolution imagery. It is intended for use in library and exhibition floor environments and may be used with keyboard-and-mouse or standard touchscreens.

Version 0.6 – Expected release date: July 2010
  • Fulltext collections search.
  • Faceted browse of collections. A configurable faceted browse leveraging authority cataloguing to provide an intuitive way to explore content.
  • Video and audio playback with visualization of time-based cataloguing, if present.

Version 1.0 – Expected release date: November 2010
  • Viewing of curated sets.
  • Mapping of items and curated sets (eg. tours).