diff --git a/dspace/src/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/TableRow.java b/dspace/src/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/TableRow.java
index ea1f146a74..20c9c7ba60 100644
--- a/dspace/src/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/TableRow.java
+++ b/dspace/src/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/TableRow.java
@@ -150,6 +150,36 @@ public class TableRow
         return ((Integer) value).intValue();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return the long value of column.
+     *
+     * If the column's type is not an long, or the column does not
+     * exist, an IllegalArgumentException is thrown.
+     *
+     * @param - The name of the column.
+     * @return - the long value of the column, or -1 if the column
+     * is an SQL null.
+     */
+    public long getLongColumn(String column)
+    {
+        if (! hasColumn(column))
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No such column " + column);
+
+        String name = canonicalize(column);
+
+        if (isColumnNull(name))
+            return -1;
+
+        Object value = data.get(name);
+
+        if (value == null)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Column " + column + " not present");
+        if (!(value instanceof Long))
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Value is not an long");
+
+        return ((Long) value).longValue();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Return the String value of column.
      *
@@ -304,6 +334,22 @@ public class TableRow
         data.put(canonicalize(column), new Integer(i));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set COLUMN to the long l.
+     *
+     * If the column does not exist, an IllegalArgumentException is thrown.
+     *
+     * @param column - The name of the column.
+     * @param l - The long value
+     */
+    public void setColumn(String column, long l)
+    {
+        if (! hasColumn(column))
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No such column " + column);
+
+        data.put(canonicalize(column), new Long(l));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Set COLUMN to the date d. If the date is null, the column is
      * set to NULL as well.