Reflections from Bologna: CKAN and the Power of Community Data at csv,conf,v9
CKAN community members share insights from csv,conf,v9 in Bologna — exploring open data, community impact, and the power of digital public infrastructure.
On April 23, 2025, we hosted part two of the CKAN Extensions Demo Day, featuring four exciting new CKAN extensions developed by and for the community. Each project offers valuable tools to enhance CKAN’s functionality, security, and scalability. Here’s a quick recap for those who missed it — or want a fast-track to the innovations presented.
Presented by: Carl Antuar and William Dutton (Queensland Government)
What it does:
This extension strictly validates the type of files uploaded to CKAN. It ensures that uploaded files match their declared formats, enhancing security and minimizing errors. For example, if someone tries to upload a .exe
file disguised as a .pdf
, the system will detect the mismatch.
python-magic
library for MIME type sniffing.Repository: github.com/qld-gov-au/ckanext-resource-type-validation (not yet public based on transcript; will update when available if released)
Presented by: João Demenech (Datopian)
What it does:
This extension allows CKAN to connect its DataStore API directly to Google BigQuery instead of using PostgreSQL.
datastore_search
and datastore_search_sql
on datasets stored in BigQuery.Repository: github.com/datopian/ckanext-datastore-bigquery
Note: Currently, resource linking is done via a custom metadata field (bq_table_name
). Contributions for improved UI and better schema integration are welcome!
Presented by: Sergey Motornyuk (Link Digital)
What it does:
This is a flexible framework rather than a simple plugin. It helps developers manage large collections of similar items (like datasets, users, etc.) in CKAN with ease.
Key use cases: customized dashboards, specialized listings, data exports — all built faster and more reliably.
Repository: github.com/DataShades/ckanext-collection
Presented by: Yan Rudenko (Link Digital)
What it does:
Need to debug or monitor your CKAN instance but don’t have backend access? This extension gives you system info, logs, errors, and more — directly in the UI.
pip freeze
equivalent from the UI).Future plans: job status monitoring, notifications (e.g., RAM alerts), and more.
Repository: github.com/DataShades/ckanext-selfinfo
The full recording is available on CKAN’s YouTube channel.
This CKAN Monthly Live session once again showcased the remarkable innovation happening across the CKAN community. Each extension addresses a real-world problem — from security and scalability to maintainability and usability.
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CKAN community members share insights from csv,conf,v9 in Bologna — exploring open data, community impact, and the power of digital public infrastructure.
Spain co-chaired the 2025 OGP Summit with a focus on people, institutions, and technology. This article offers a systems-level view of open government, highlighting infrastructure challenges, policy signals, CKAN’s enabling role, and the themes shaping the future of transparency and participation.