int values in avu value cause python errors

[michael-conway]

int values in avu value cause the following:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/unittest/case.py", line 59, in testPartExecutor
    yield
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/unittest/case.py", line 605, in run
    testMethod()
  File "/Users/conwaymc/Documents/workspace-niehs-python/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/tests/epi_project_loader_test.py", line 37, in test_ping_mailbox_and_update
    epi_project_loader.ping_mailbox_and_update(irods_props, self.email_config)
  File "/Users/conwaymc/Documents/workspace-niehs-python/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader.py", line 95, in ping_mailbox_and_update
    update_irods_with_projects(email_projects, email_project_configuration, irods_props)
  File "/Users/conwaymc/Documents/workspace-niehs-python/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader.py", line 119, in update_irods_with_projects
    add_project_data(email_id, email_project_entry, sess, project_parent_path)
  File "/Users/conwaymc/Documents/workspace-niehs-python/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader/epi_project_loader.py", line 136, in add_project_data
    meta.add(Collection, project_parent_path, iRODSMeta("ProjectID", project_id))
  File "/Users/conwaymc/.virtualenvs/dev/lib/python3.6/site-packages/irods/manager/metadata_manager.py", line 54, in add
    if not(len(path) and len(meta.name) and len(meta.value)):
TypeError: object of type 'int' has no len()


Process finished with exit code 1

api should be able to handle and properly coeerce int (and likely other types of values)