Aspen Discovery Announces 20.16.00 Release and Notes

by Emily Fowler on Dec 1, 2020

Aspen Discovery announced this week that the 20.16.00 release is available. This major release includes 2 new functionalities and 17 updates to the Aspen Discovery system.

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

In this release we're making it easier for libraries to communicate with their patrons for the upcoming holidays. The new messaging functionality allows libraries to post messages to their patrons in a variety of locations with specified starting and ending dates for each message. We're looking forward to seeing how libraries use this functionality to better connect with their patrons.

New Functionality

Search Functionality

• Add a new facet to find titles based on the first publication date for a patron. This facet can be used to better find (or omit) titles that are frequently republished. This will be used by default for new installations.

System Messages

• Added the ability to add additional custom System Messages that can be shown on All Pages, All Account Pages, or specific account pages. Custom System Messages can have start and stop dates and can be displayed for specific libraries and locations. System Messages can optionally be dismissed by patrons.

Updated Functionality

Administration Updates

• Add a warning to the status report when indexing for a module does not finish.
• Update the display of multi select checkbox form elements to include labels for each checkbox and translate the Select All element.
• Show timestamps in human readable format and show a calendar with time selection when editing the field.

Axis 360 Updates

• If a title is available and patron attempts to place a hold on it. Automatically check the title out to the patron.

Bookcover Updates

• When a cover has been uploaded for a grouped work, ensure that cover is used for all records attached to the work.
• Update retrieval and caching of covers for titles not owned by the library.

Browsing Updates

• Add additional vertical padding around sub categories on the browse page so the display looks better in mobile view.

Carl.X Integration Updates

• Add translation of the response from CARL.X when placing a hold.
• When indexing based on marc record export, make sure to delete any records that no longer exist in the export.
• Allow extracting a single record from CARL.X

Indexing Updates

• Update the determination of LC Subjects and Bisac Subjects to better conform to standards.
• Updates to handle when a sideload has been deleted, but related scoping information has not.

Koha Integration Updates

• If there is only one valid location available during self registration, hide the selection in the form.
• When indexing records from Koha, check the zebra queue to see if additional records need to be indexed.
• When a library allows either bib or item level holds on a format, properly determine when item level holds are being placed.

List Updates

• Update Lists loaded from the New York Times API to always be searchable.

Materials Request Updates

• Make the materials request introductory text translatable for libraries using the Koha request system.

OverDrive Integration Updates

• If a title is close to the expiration date (within 3 days), allow the patron to place a hold on the title so they have uninterrupted access to the title.

Placard Updates

• Add the ability to define a start and end time for placards to be shown.

Recommendation Updates

• Update the message after a user indicates they don't want a title recommended to say it may take a few minutes.

Search Updates

• When selecting a search term from the auto complete list, automatically start the search.
• During the auto complete process remove any colons that are contained within a title or subject to avoid errors in the search results.

Sierra Updates

• Fixes for Sierra background process to automatically start it after a nightly index.

Symphony Integration Updates

• Process volumes extracted from Symphony so they can be displayed for records.
• Place volume level holds within Symphony.
• Pickup location for pending holds can be updated.

Translation Updates

• Add translation mode to header for administers with the ability to translate Aspen Discovery.
• Allow messages for Interlibrary loans to be translated.
• Correct display of translated values within the search box.

Web Builder Updates

• Display unpublished menu links in italics.
• Update so introductory text for forms formats properly prior to display.
• On the web resources page, ensure that libraries for the resource display properly.
• On basic pages, ensure that audience, category, and libraries update properly.
• Add the ability to set audience, category, and libraries for custom pages.
• When deleting rows and cells from custom pages, make sure the remaining rows and cells sort properly.