From Legacy to DSpace: Real-World Migration Strategies - University of Zurich Case Study
Avaliable also in German!
Małgorzata Paszkowska
Jolanta Buda
Stefan Vogt
DSpace Lab Days
DSpace Lab Days is a monthly series of online meetings designed for the professional exchange of knowledge and experience regarding the implementation and use of the DSpace system. The format is flexible: from short lectures and expert panels, through case studies and Q&A sessions, to practical hands-on workshops.
The series is open to the entire DSpace community and anyone interested in institutional repositories – repository administrators, digital library managers, developers, and project managers. We particularly welcome members of the DSpace Poland User Group as well as representatives of all other national DSpace user groups worldwide.
Migrating an institutional repository is one of the most consequential decisions a university can make – and one that touches far more than just technology. In this edition of DSpace Lab Days, we examine what a large-scale repository migration really looks like, combining a real-world case study with a broader perspective on moving from legacy systems to modern infrastructure.
The session opens with Stefan Vogt from the University of Zurich, who led the migration of ZORA – the university’s institutional repository – from EPrints to DSpace. He will walk us through the full arc of the project: from the institutional decision and procurement process, through the technical execution, to the content and metadata work that shaped the quality of the new system. In the second part of the session, a specialist from PCG Academia will broaden the lens, discussing what large-scale migrations from legacy to modern repository platforms involve in general – the patterns, the pitfalls, and the principles that apply regardless of which systems are involved.
Whether you are considering a migration, in the middle of one, or simply want to understand what the process entails, this session will give you both the ground-level view and the strategic context.
Agenda
Welcome and introduction,
Case study: migrating ZORA – the University of Zurich’s journey from EPrints to DSpace,
Lessons learned: challenges, decisions, and outcomes at UZH,
Beyond the case study: migrating from legacy to modern repository platforms,
Q&A and open discussion.
Register!Fill out the form to get instant access to the webinar
DSpace Lab Day #7
What You Will Learn
What drove the University of Zurich’s decision to migrate ZORA from EPrints to DSpace – institutional, formal, and strategic considerations,
What the technical migration involved: data export, transformation, import, and the challenges of mapping legacy structures to a new system,
How content and metadata quality was managed during and after the migration,
What the biggest challenges were at UZH – and what the institution gained,
What large-scale repository migrations from legacy systems have in common – patterns and lessons from practice.
Experts:
Małgorzata Paszkowska
International Outreach Manager, PCG Academia
She specializes in project management and business analytics, currently serving as a client supervisor and project manager in the Science line at PCG Academia. A long-time collaborator of the Information Processing Center – National Research Institute. She supervised the implementation of projects such as the Scientific Achievement Evaluation System (SEDN) and the Polish Scientific Bibliography (PBN). As part of her professional work, she has carried out projects related to end-to-end software development – from concept to production implementation to post-implementation user support. She holds numerous certificates in business analysis and traditional and agile project management. She graduated from interdisciplinary studies in European Studies at the University of Warsaw.
Jolanta Buda
Team Leader, PCG Academia
For the past three years, Jolanta Buda has been working with DSpace solutions at PCG Academia, supporting academic and research institutions in the implementation and ongoing development of repository platforms. She coordinates implementation projects, oversees the work of project team, and works closely with both clients and technical team, ensuring effective communication and successful project delivery.
Following project completion, she continues to support clients as their dedicated support contact, helping them address operational challenges, optimize repository workflows, and make the most of their DSpace environments. Her role combines project coordination, client relationship management, and day-to-day collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality solutions tailored to institutional needs. Jolanta also represents PCG Academia at conferences, community events, and meetings focused on open science, digital repositories, and research information management, engaging with academic institutions and contributing to the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Stefan Vogt
Project leader (non technical) ZORA, Master in Business Administration
Lead public procurement and project ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive) renewal
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