Community co-investment improves bulk import capability for Hyku and Hyrax

April 6, 2026

A new community initiative is underway to improve the Bulkrax importer for Hyrax and Hyku repositories — led through a co-investment model between PALNI, PALCI, Notch8, and the Samvera community, and supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Sustaining Hyku grant.

This work reflects a core principle of the Samvera community: software development driven by shared needs and sustained through collaboration. Together, the project partners are coordinating funding and development to address challenges users have identified as top priorities through ongoing community conversations. More about this community-led development initiative is available at the Improving the Bulk Import Experience for Hyrax and Hyku: Community-Funded Bulkrax Sprints Project Page.

Turning Community Feedback into Action

Bulkrax is the primary tool for adding content to Hyrax and Hyku repositories at scale. From digitized archival collections to faculty scholarship and grant-funded projects, efficient bulk import workflows determine how quickly repositories deliver value to their institutions. Bulk-import efficiency is equally crucial for repository migrations, a common task within library communities.

Despite its central role, community feedback has consistently highlighted that Bulkrax needs improvement, especially for staff new to Hyrax and Hyku. Repository staff often encounter errors only after imports begin, spend significant time diagnosing failures, and face workflows that are difficult to delegate.

A Community Co-Investment Model

The PALNI and PALCI Sustaining Hyku IMLS grant, with support from Notch8 and community co-investors, is helping translate shared challenges into coordinated development work. The initiative directly advances grant goals by gathering community priorities, demonstrating community-focused software development, and supporting sustainable pathways for improving Hyku.

Phase 1 of the 3-phase development project is already completed, funded jointly by the PALNI/PALCI IMLS grant and a matching in-kind contribution from Notch8. Phase 2 is in progress through additional community co-investments. Phase 3 requires additional community funding and is targeted for the second half of 2026.

By distributing costs across institutions and consortia, this model accelerates development while strengthening the long-term sustainability of Hyku and shared Samvera infrastructure. The improvements demonstrate how coordinated funding, community input, and collaborative development can make open-source repository tools more efficient, approachable, and sustainable for everyone.

Improving the Bulk Import Experience

Targeted for release with Hyku 7.1 in early 2026, this development effort introduces scaffolding for pre-import validation, allowing problems to be identified before an import job begins rather than after processing. These changes aim to transform bulk import from a trial-and-error process into a predictable and teachable workflow. For repository teams, this means less troubleshooting and more time focused on collection development, metadata quality, and user engagement.

For more about this community-led development initiative, including how to contribute, visit the Improving the Bulk Import Experience for Hyrax and Hyku: Community-Funded Bulkrax Sprints Project Page.

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About the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI)

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is a non-profit organization that supports collaboration for library and information services for 23 colleges, universities and seminaries throughout the state. From its inception in 1992, the PALNI collaboration has been a key avenue for its supported institutions to contain costs while providing more effective library services. More recently, PALNI has adopted a model of deep collaboration that pools resources and people as a tool to expand services while containing costs. Simultaneously, PALNI is expanding collaboration within its institutions and with external library partners to address challenges and build cost-effective services. Visit the PALNI website for more information. (www.palni.org)

PALNI Supported Institutions

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary | Anderson University | Bethel University | Butler University | Concordia Theological Seminary | Christian Theological Seminary | DePauw University | Earlham College | Franklin College | Goshen College | Grace College | Hanover College | Huntington University | Manchester University | Marian University | University of Saint Francis | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary’s College | Saint Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology | Taylor University | Trine University | University of Indianapolis | Wabash College

About The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration & Innovation (PALCI)

The Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) consortium of 80 academic and research libraries in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. Together, PALCI members serve more than 800,000 students, faculty, and staff in five states by advancing cost-effective and sustainable access to information resources and services. Known for its applied innovation, high-impact group negotiations, and the widely used EZBorrow consortial interlibrary loan service, PALCI supports collaboration through shared collections programs, resource sharing services, and pioneering standards-based approaches to library technology. Founded in 1996 as the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc., PALCI continues to foster collective solutions that strengthen libraries and the communities they serve. See the full list of PALCI member libraries, here.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Notch8

Founded in 2007, Notch8 has spent more than 17 years empowering libraries and cultural institutions to preserve and share knowledge through exceptional software craftsmanship.​​ Our mission is to facilitate the organization, preservation, and accessibility of information and knowledge to individuals and communities, creating sustainable digital solutions that stand the test of time. ​Visit www.notch8.com for more information.

About Samvera

Samvera is an Icelandic word meaning “togetherness.” The Samvera Community is a global community of technologists who create and maintain repository software; you can’t install Samvera, but you can install the repository solutions we develop together including Avalon Media System, Hyrax, and Hyku. Institutions worldwide rely on Samvera Community-supported software to provide access to their digital content. Samvera is also a community of practice where software developers and library technologists can support and learn from one another. We have active participation from metadata specialists, repository managers, user experience professionals, and others who contribute their expertise to ensure the software stays relevant and responsive to changing needs. Samvera software is free and open source, available under an Apache 2 license. It offers flexible and rich user interfaces tailored to distinct content types on top of a robust back end – giving adopters the best of both worlds. Visit www.samvera.org for more information.