Intro to Hydra

Hydra (http://projecthydra.org) is a free and open source framework for building repository-powered solutions. Hydra enables institutions to rapidly build customized applications and workflows (the “heads”) that sit atop a robust digital repository (the “body”). With dozens of adopters worldwide and a vital, distributed community of contributors, Hydra Partners have deployed heads for everything from institutional repositories to media and archival managements systems, from theses and dissertations submission systems to data repositories.

This preconference workshop will provide a general introduction to Hydra, including…

• functional capabilities and range of solutions supported
• demonstration of several heads by different Hydra Partners
• its component-based architecture
• the project’s community framework and principles
• the strength and momentum of the project
• how to get started

This session is geared towards anybody curious to know more about Hydra, or those who have encountered the project before and like to get a sense of its recent progress: it will be applicable to those working with repository content as well as repository technology. The workshop will include 90 minutes of presentation and demonstration by various Hydra adopters, followed by open Q&A and discussion. Hydra community members will be on hand for any breakout discussions that attendees may wish to start during this second half, ensuring that discussion can be multi-threaded and focused on areas of greatest interest. Participants will also have the ability to interact hands-on with a live, cloud-based, Hydra-Head solution that allows them to upload and manage content, manage metadata, and explore end-user search and faceting functionality.