Marist College, Rockefeller Archive Center Partner on Open Source Digital Archival Tech

Marist College and the Rockefeller Archive Center (RAC) in New York have partnered to develop and implement an open source digital records management system to support researchers, archival staff and the broader archival community.

According to Jack Meyers, president of the Rockefeller Archive Center, archivists struggle with "how to manage the flow of archival information among diverse platforms so that digitized and born-digital records can be properly preserved and also made easily accessible to the broadest possible audience."

At the same time, one of the goals of Marist College "is to offer open source technologies, such as Liferay and Blockchain, to like-minded organizations that create a lasting impact on our community," said Bill Thirsk, vice president of information technology and CIO at the college, in a news release.

The two-year digital records infrastructure project has two main components:

  • A repository for long-term storage and maintenance of digital records; and
  • A microservices application programming interface (API) to manage the flow of data between archival systems and the repository.

The system will be compatible with existing archival standards and will use well-documented open source technologies and user-centered design so other institutions can more easily adopt and deploy the components, according to a news release. Marist and RAC will develop the repository and API infrastructure using open source portal technology, and developers will research the use of Blockchain, ArchivesSpace, Archivematica, Fedora and other open source tools. The institutions anticipate that the platform will offer scalability and rapid implementation of emerging technologies to support digital records management for archives.

In a related project, Marist College will use the open source platform Liferay to help the RAC develop a website documenting more than 100 years of the Rockefeller Foundation's international philanthropic programs. The site will include images, documents and films from the RAC.

The partnership is supported by the Cloud Computing and Analytics Center at Marist College, with a generous financial contribution from the Rockefeller Archive Center.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • illustrated university campus with modern buildings, glowing binary code streaming straight and dynamically from multiple directions, integrated into the architecture, surrounded by stylized trees, grass, and walkways

    3 Ways Institutions Can Become Data-Driven Organizations

    Faced with declining enrollments and changing demographics, colleges and universities must make use of data and analytics to better serve students.

  • NVIDIA DGX line

    NVIDIA Intros Personal AI Supercomputers

    NVIDIA has introduced a new lineup of AI-powered computing solutions designed to accelerate enterprise workloads.

  • digital network with glowing blue and red lines, featuring multiple red arrows shifting in different directions

    Report: Attackers Change Tactics as Ransomware Payoffs Decline

    Attackers are changing tactics as they collect less money from ransomware payoffs, according to a new report from Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm.