Aspen Discovery

Aspen Discovery Announces 20.08.00 Release and Notes

by Jessie Zairo on Jun 11, 2020

Aspen Discovery announced this week that the 20.08 release is available. This major release includes 63 improvements and 4 performance & reliability fixes.

Mark Noble, Aspen Discovery Developer, recently commented on the release:

Aspen Discovery 20.08 advances the integration of Aspen Discovery with Koha by making it easier to configure both systems simultaneously and ensuring that patrons can always use Aspen Discovery. Although Aspen Discovery and Koha work together more closely, integration with other ILS systems is not compromised at all, and library systems can use Aspen Discovery no matter what ILS they use.

Account Integration Updates

  • When the PIN for a logged-in user changes PIN within the ILS, redirect them to the login page rather than presenting an error.
  • Change default text of frozen holds to frozen rather than suspended for consistency
  • Translate the status of a hold for ILS and OverDrive
  • Abstract patron reset functionality such that the ILS controls what fields are displayed and how the results are processed

Administration Updates

  • Prompt administrators when leaving a page if they have unsaved information
  • Allow IP Addresses to be specified as xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx-xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
  • Allow Libraries to configure a Pinterest page within contact links
  • Correct patron account blocking functionality
    • Properly validate adding by barcode and display a meaningful error to the user if the patron cannot be found
    • Remove supplemental instructions that were improperly formatted
  • Fixes for adding new Sideload Settings to reduce the number of required fields
  • Add a new option when creating new settings to create the object and continue editing it
  • Hide History button when creating new settings
  • Allow onchange event for select lists
  • Add the ability to link to another object within properties form
  • Give sticky table headings a solid background for better readability
  • Updates to the default display of panels to ensure text is always readable
  • Add a new superCataloger role to allow access to additional areas that require more trust like Indexing Profiles
  • Updates when creating new objects to better handle checkboxes and numeric values

Aspen API Updates

  • Add a method to retrieve patron barcode by a given patron id
  • Add total amount outstanding to return call from getPatronFines
  • When an ILS provides both the original and outstanding amounts for each fine, return:
    • amount = current amount owed
    • amountOutstanding = current amount owed
    • amountOriginal = original amount of the fine
  • Update methods to retrieve patron checkouts, holds, and fines to allow calling with id or patronId
  • Add a method to retrieve patron id by barcode
  • Remove expireTime from the documentation for getPatronHolds since it was not being returned

Browse Functionality Updates

  • Allow browsing of events, archives, indexed web content, and genealogy
  • Do not show the option to add to browse when there are no results for a search
  • Additional error checking messaging when loading recommendations if the user's session expired

Collection Spotlight Updates

  • Allow creating spotlights for different types of searches (Events, Open Archives, etc)
  • Hide options for spotlight list that aren't relevant to the selected source
  • Update administration interface to make it easier to administer lists in a spotlight
  • Update old collection spotlights to use new method of defining them
  • Do not show create spotlight option from events search page
  • Do not show the option to create a new spotlight when there are no results for a search

Indexing Updates

  • If an item does not have a call number in the item or bib, but does have volume information, show the volume information as the call number
  • Remove the old method of grouping works by specifying grouped work ids in favor of new method which specifies alternate title/author information

IP Address Blocking

  • Extends the existing IP Address functionality to allow blocking of all access to Aspen based on IP Address.
  • Aspen blocks access to APIs by default now to prevent unauthorized usage and access can be granted based on IP Address.
  • When Aspen blocks a page or API request, Aspen logs the block.
  • Information about the total number of blocks that have been done is found on the Aspen Usage Dashboard.

Koha Integration Updates

  • Added new functionality to allow the pickup branch for holds to be changed by the user.
  • Update return message when we cannot connect to Koha OAuth service during Pin Reset
  • Self Registration Updates
    • Allow a list of valid states to be specified as part of the registration process.
    • Optionally submit the form with values in all upper case
    • Allow a message to be displayed regarding password requirements on the self-registration form
  • Properly detect when Koha has locked an account due to the maximum number of login attempts being reached and issue an appropriate message to the patron
  • Update filtering of pickup branches when setting contact information to use the full list of valid pickup branches
  • Password Recovery can now be set up so that the patron completes the password recovery process within Aspen Discovery rather than Koha
  • Update to support new fines structure from Koha 19.11
  • When displaying contact information form, do not use the list of libraries allowed for self-registration
  • Do not suppress items with no collection code for Koha
  • Fixes for updating messaging settings in newer versions of Koha
  • Add author name to each hold within Koha
  • Cleanup of calls when marking fines paid within Koha to pass numeric values as numbers and properly case payment type

PayPal Updates

  • Update PayPal to trim the description further when creating new orders

RBdigital Updates

  • Additional error trapping when loading RBdigital ID from the API
  • Do not show sample call numbers for eMagazines within search results

Record Display Updates

  • When displaying subjects for a MARC record, don't show subfield 9

Website Indexing Updates

  • Add required fields for website indexing settings

Other changes

  • Remove culturally insensitive terms from codebase that are not part of third party libraries
  • Fix Select Interface to use defined base url for a library
  • When checking system health, look at the last 3 log entries for indexing to prevent rapid changes in the health report during eContent outages
  • When checking system health take into account the number of processors while looking at load average
  • Allow display of both offline message as well as system message
  • Updates to determination of audience and form (Fiction/Nonfiction) for Arlington custom processing
  • Updates when creating records to include and records owned to allow blank sub locations
  • Additional error handling when submitting tickets via Aspen
  • Add AhrefsBot to list of bots that are blocked by default
  • Ensure that ping of Solr server happens more quickly by reducing timeouts
  • Cleanup of facet code
  • Cleanup of unused Pika code and references

About Aspen Discovery

Aspen is a full-featured Discovery System that integrates with e-content and other 3rd party providers, giving your patrons comprehensive access to all of your materials in one place. Aspen combines your library catalog with e-content, digital archives, and enrichment from all major third-party providers improves relevancy and ease of use, provides native reading recommendations, displays all formats of titles within one result (FRBR) and much more. Aspen was created to give users an improved experience over other Discovery systems with less of an impact on library budgets. For more information about Aspen please visit: https://bywatersolutions.com/projects/aspen-discovery

About ByWater Solutions

ByWater Solutions is a full service, high-quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in the first-rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit https://bywatersolutions.com.

For More Information

Jessica Zairo
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944

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