Open-source archives management system for accessioning, description, and access to collections, used by libraries and museums worldwide.
Category
Knowledge Base
Pricing
Free (open source), from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2013
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia (Lyrasis, organizational home)
Web AppOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
ArchivesSpace is an open-source archives management system that originated in 2009 as a collaboration between NYU, UC San Diego, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to merge the Archivists' Toolkit and Archon into a single next-generation system.
ArchivesSpace 1.0 was released on September 30, 2013, and the nonprofit Lyrasis (headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia) has served as the project's organizational home since 2012.
Key Features
The platform provides a single integrated system for accessioning, arrangement, description, and preservation of archival collections, along with intellectual and physical collection control.
It supports digital objects alongside traditional physical materials, offers a customizable staff interface, and includes web-based access and discovery tools for the public.
Pricing
ArchivesSpace is free to download and use. Optional paid membership, offered at five tiers through Lyrasis, provides technical support, access to user manuals, and voting rights on future development.
Key Features
Accessioning and description — Manage the full archival workflow from accessioning through arrangement and description.
Digital object support — Manage digital objects alongside traditional physical archival materials.
Web-based access and discovery — Public-facing search and discovery interface for collections.