2026.01.29 FITS Transition Planning Meeting cont.

Call-in details

Time

11am ET (convert to your timezone)

Zoom link

https://harvard.zoom.us/j/91582305703?pwd=1x27U9c9LUQfltJAB0RCzlMTIGlH4c.1

Attendees

• ...

Agenda

1. Introductions - brief
2. Updates since last meeting (2025-12-11)
   1. FITS Contributors (technical and monetary)
      1. Open Github issues
   2. Host org updates (OPF, others?)
      1. Open letter draft
      2. ACTION: add name, email, institution to Open letter, linked above
      3. Expressions of community support? Islandora, Samvera, Digital POWRR
         • OPF membership
3. Next steps
   1. Technical sub-group
   2. Finalizing engagement with candidate new organizational home(s)
      1. Local financial conversations
   3. Next meeting, mid-Feb

Notes

transcript

A.I.-generated summary

Prompt:

Provide a concise summary of these meeting notes; provide salient takeaways; provide next steps and action items.

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Summary

The meeting focused on securing a sustainable organizational home for FITS, with the Open Preservation Foundation (OPF) identified as the leading candidate. Discussion centered on demonstrating broad community value, assembling evidence of technical and organizational support, and preparing an open letter to OPF ahead of its late-February board meeting. Participants emphasized FITS’ importance across production systems, preservation workflows, and education, and agreed to mobilize community signatories and selective testimonials to strengthen the case.

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Salient Takeaways

• OPF is the primary target for hosting and stewarding FITS; timing is critical due to the upcoming OPF board meeting (late February).

• Community support matters more than perfection: OPF is not expecting full governance or funding commitments yet—credible signals of technical interest, usage, and care are sufficient at this stage.

• Technical capacity is the biggest gap: Some institutions can offer limited maintenance/triage support (e.g., UW-Madison), but Java developer depth remains thin.

• FITS’ educational role is under-documented but compelling, especially its use in digital archiving curricula.

• Coalition breadth strengthens the case: Signatures and endorsements from umbrella communities (Samvera, Islandora), service organizations (APTrust, NEDCC), and alliances (NDSA) carry significant weight.

• Testimonials are valuable but secondary: A small number, representing distinct use cases (education, platforms, preservation services), is sufficient for the initial approach.

• The letter is intentionally an opening move, not a final proposal; deeper details can follow if OPF expresses interest.

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Next Steps & Action Items

By ~February 16 (target date)

• Finalize and circulate the open letter for broad signature collection.
• Gather signatories from:
  • Community organizations (e.g., Samvera, Islandora boards).
  • Individual institutions using or teaching FITS.
  • Preservation and training organizations (e.g., APTrust, NEDCC).
• Collect 2–3 short testimonials, ideally representing:
  • Educational use (digital archiving instruction).
  • Platform/ecosystem dependence (Samvera/Islandora).
  • Preservation services or community infrastructure.

Assigned / Volunteered Actions

• Andrew Woods
  • Share draft letter with OPF Executive Director (Neil) for early feedback.
  • Confirm OPF board meeting date and align submission timing.
  • Move the letter to a stable shared location (Harvard shared drive).
  • Reach out to Texas Digital Library for support/signature.
• Aurora Charlow
  • Contact NDSA to solicit interest, signatures, and possible developer support.
  • Pursue an educational testimonial (instructor-authored if possible).
  • Reach out to NEDCC for a statement or signature.
• Scott Prater
  • Explore UW-Madison’s capacity for limited maintenance/triage support.
  • Contact DPC affiliates to assess possible support or endorsement.
  • Follow up with APTrust and California Digital Library for signatures.
• Mark Jordan
  • Engage Islandora Foundation leadership for signature/testimonial.
  • Coordinate outreach to other dependent platform communities.
• All Participants
  • Add individual signatures if willing.
  • Advocate within respective communities and organizations for endorsement.

Looking Ahead

• Submit the letter to OPF once signatures are locked.
• Wait for OPF feedback before convening the next meeting.
• Hold a follow-up meeting (early–mid March) to respond to OPF’s guidance and, if needed, formalize a smaller steering group.