Long-term sustainability planning is something that poses a unique challenge for many open source programs. These programs are often funded and supported in ways that do not give appropriate consideration to the long-term sustainability of the applications and their communities. The It Takes a Village (ITAV) framework was created to give OSS communities, like Samvera and Fedora, the tools and information needed to begin the planning process for their futures. Through a series of guided activities, ITAV presents program participants with the opportunity to look both inward and outward to evaluate what is working and what is not and how to take actionable steps forward.
This panel will outline the ITAV framework and explain the process for using the tools from within the toolkit. Megan Forbes will provide background and process. Panelists include Heather Greer Klein, Community Manager at Samvera and Arran Griffith, Program Manager at Fedora. Heather and Arran will share their experiences participating in ITAV and showcase some of the activities they have used. They will highlight and share the lessons learned while undergoing the process for each of their own program’s sustainability planning.
Learning Outcomes
- Be better positioned for sustainability planning
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Understand the overall ITAV sustainability framework
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Be able to find the ITAV toolkit and determine how to use it
Instructors
Laurie Arp
As the Director of DuraSpace Community Supported Programs at LYRASIS, Laurie supervises ArchivesSpace, CollectionSpace, DSpace, Fedora and VIVO, the community supported open source programs housed at LYRASIS. Laurie is the Principal Investigator for the IMLS-funded “It Takes a Village” project, which provides sustainability planning resources for open source software projects serving cultural and scientific heritage. Previously, Laurie worked for OCLC and the Ohio Historical Society. She received her MLIS from UCLA; her MA in European History from UC Irvine; and her BA in History from UCSD.
Megan Forbes
Megan Forbes has over 15 years of experience working with open source software, museum collections, and collections technology. Megan served as the co-Director of the IMLS-funded “It Takes a Village” project, which provides sustainability planning resources for open source software projects serving cultural and scientific heritage. Until recently, she also led the operations of the CollectionSpace organizational home, including software design and development, release planning, and community engagement. Previously, Megan was the Director of the Collection at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. She has a MA in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Heather Greer Klein
Heather Greer Klein is the Samvera Community Manager, where she supports and manages activities on behalf of the Samvera open source software community. She lives and works from Durham, NC. Previously Heather was an Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at Lyrasis and was the Services Coordinator at DuraSpace. She also spent six years as Member Services Coordinator at NC LIVE, the North Carolina digital library consortium. She holds an MLIS from Simmons University and a graduate certificate in Training and Development from NC State University.
Arran Griffith
Arran comes to the open-source, library technology world with a diverse background and unique perspective on engaging communities and building meaningful connections. As the Program Manager, she is responsible for uniting users and delivering on the vision and priorities set for the Fedora community. She acts as a strategic liaison between governance groups and community stakeholders to oversee that key program objectives are being met and that continued program growth is achieved.
She previously served as Community Outreach Coordinator for the Fedora Program before taking on the full-time role as Program Manager in May 2022. Prior to joining Lyrasis, Arran led large sales teams in high-volume retail where her commitment to customer experience, and people management skills were the driving force in her successes. She has a BSc in Biology from Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB Canada.
