Events Integrations

To set up the Attend by Communico events calendar integration in Aspen Discovery, follow these instructions.

Enable the Events Module

1. Have a library Admin go to System Administration > Modules, find the Events module and make sure Enabled? is clicked. Then click Save.

Set User Permissions

In order to administer the Events settings, you'll need the correct permissions.

1. Go to System Administration > Permissions.
2. From the 'Role to Edit' dropdown, select your role or the role you wish to add the Events permissions to.
3. Scroll to find the Events section or search for the word Communico.
4. Assign the permissions Administer Communico Settings and Administer Events Facet Settings.
5. Save.

Set Up Communico Attend

1. From Aspen Administration > Events, click into Communico Settings 
2. Click Add New.

• Name your settings (Ex: Communico)
• Fill in the base URL (Ex: https://attend.yourlibrary.org/events)
• Add your Client ID
• Add your Client Secret
• Select which Library location(s) you would like this to apply to.
• Click Save.

If you are unsure about your Client Key or Client Secret, reach out to Communico.

Next Steps

Please see the Events Settings section of this page for explanation of additional settings and learn how to set up Event Facets.

To set up the Assabet Interactive Event Calendar integration in Aspen Discovery, follow these instructions.

Enable the Events Module

1. Have a library Admin go to System Administration > Modules, find the Events module and make sure Enabled? is clicked. Then click Save.

Set User Permissions

In order to administer the Events settings, you'll need the correct permissions.

1. Go to System Administration > Permissions.
2. From the 'Role to Edit' dropdown, select your role or the role you wish to add the Events permissions to.
3. Scroll to find the Events section or search for the word Assabet.
4. Assign the permissions Administer Assabet Settings and Administer Events Facet Settings.
5. Save.

Set Up Assabet-Interactive

1. From Aspen Administration > Events, click into Assabet - Interactive Settings 
2. Click Add New.

• Name your settings (Ex: Main Library Calendar)
• Fill in the base URL (Ex: https://yoursite.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/upcoming-events)
• Select which Library location(s) you would like this to apply to.
• Click Save.

Next Steps

Please see the Events Settings section of this page for explanation of additional settings and learn how to set up Event Facets.

To set up the LibCal events calendar integration in Aspen Discovery, follow these instructions.

Enable the Events Module

1. Have a library Admin go to System Administration > Modules, find the Events module and make sure Enabled? is clicked. Then click Save.

Set User Permissions

In order to administer the Events settings, you'll need the correct permissions.

1. Go to System Administration > Permissions.
2. From the 'Role to Edit' dropdown, select your role or the role you wish to add the Events permissions to.
3. Scroll to find the Events section or search for the word LibCal.
4. Assign the permissions Administer Springshare LibCal Settings and Administer Events Facet Settings.
5. Save.

Set Up LibCal by Springshare

1. From Aspen Administration > Events, click into Springshare - LibCal Settings.
2. Click Add New.

• Name your settings (Ex: LibCal)
• Fill in the base URL (Ex: https://yoursite.libcal.com)
• Add your Client ID
• Add your Client Secret
• Select which Library location(s) you would like this to apply to.
• Click Save.

To get these credentials from LibCal:

1. Log in to LibCal
2. Admin > API > API Authentication
3. Create New Application

On the application, select all the Read access options under Scope.

Next Steps

Please see the Events Settings section of this page for explanation of additional settings and learn how to set up Event Facets.

To set up the LibraryCalendar by LibraryMarket events integration in Aspen Discovery, follow these instructions.

Enable the Events Module

1. Have a library Admin go to System Administration > Modules, find the Events module and make sure Enabled? is clicked. Then click Save.

Set User Permissions

In order to administer the Events settings, you'll need the correct permissions.

1. Go to System Administration > Permissions.
2. From the 'Role to Edit' dropdown, select your role or the role you wish to add the Events permissions to.
3. Scroll to find the Events section or search for the word LibraryCalendar.
4. Assign the permissions Administer LibraryMarket LibraryCalendar Settings and Administer Events Facet Settings.
5. Save.

Set Up Library Calendar by Library Market

1. From Aspen Administration > Events, click into LibraryMarket - Calendar Settings.
2. Click Add New.

• Name your settings (Ex: LibraryCalendar)
• Fill in the base URL (Ex: https://yoursite.librarycalendar.com)
• Select which Library location(s) you would like this to apply to.
• Click Save.

Note: The other fields such as Client Secret and Admin login information are legacy settings and are no longer necessary. All you need to fill in are the credentials outlined above.

Next Steps

Please see the Events Settings section of this page for explanation of additional settings and learn how to set up Event Facets.

Set the Number of Days of Events to Index

1. Head to Events > Edit your {Calendar Name} - Settings
2. In the Number of Days to Index box set the amount of days you want Aspen to pull events in from. For example, fill in 90 if you only want Aspen to display events from the next 3 months. If no number is set then all events Aspen finds will be pulled in.

Allow/Disallow Users from Adding Events to Lists

1. Head to Events > Edit your {Calendar Name} - Settings
2. Under the Events in Lists dropdown, you have three options:

• Allow staff to add events to lists
• Allow all users to add events to lists
• Do not allow adding events to lists

Select the option you prefer and save your changes.

Allow Users to Bypass Aspen Event Pages

1. Head to Events > Edit your {Calendar Name} - Settings
2. Check the box for Bypass event pages in Aspen
3. Save your changes.

With this setting enabled, users will be able to go directly to your external events information page and skip the intermediary page in Aspen.

Adding a Modal Box for Registration Information

When users click Registration Information, you can add a modal box that users will see before heading to the registration page. This modal will only display for events requiring registration. 

To edit this modal:

1. Head to Events > Edit your event settings
2. In Registration Modal Body, enter in the text you would like to display when users click on Registration Information. In this example, the text entered is "This is an intermediate message."

If this text box is empty, the modal will not display.

Registration to Show in Aspen LiDA

Similiar to above, libraries using Aspen LiDA can add a message users will see before heading to the event registration page. This is added in the Event Settings > Registration to Show in Aspen LiDA box.

This message has a 500 character limit and the box does not accept HTML.

Once connected, a facet chart will automatically populate based on what is available through your calendar API connection.

You can tailor the facets for Events in Aspen Administration > Events > Event Facet Settings.

In order to do this, you must have the permission: Administer Events Facet Settings.

Facets can be sorted, re-labeled and deleted. The facet chart works the same as the Grouped Work facets. Learn more here.

There is a new facet called Event Date where users are able to search programs by a date range.

In Facet Counts to Show, there is a choice to show:

• Show all counts (exact and approximate)
• Show exact counts only
• Show no counts

For each Event integration, there is a Location Map in Aspen Administration > Events > click into your events provider > expand Location Mapping.

Here you can make sure that the correct Aspen Locations are connected to the Events Integration Location Name. 

This map automatically loads. The logic behind the Location Mapping is so that when a patron is logged in, their Home Library events will sort above other events. This table is only used for this search relevancy. 

Once your events load in via your event integration, they will begin to show up in related library catalog searches in the Explore More box.

You will also notice that in your Aspen search bar, you now have an "in Events" option in your dropdown menu so users can also search directly in Aspen for events.

There are also a number of facets available to narrow your events. These facets can be configured in the Events module > Event Facet Settings. Read more here.

Once your calendar integration with LibCal, Library Market or Communico is set up, a calendar is generated at {YourLibraryURL}/Events/Calendar that you can add as a menu link or share elsewhere. 

You will also notice in Aspen Administration > Events that you have an option for Indexing Log. Here you can check the Events connection and keep track of any errors. Like with the other logs in Aspen, you can click Show Notes to find out more details about the indexing.

Staff can add Events to public lists by searching for Events and clicking the Add to List button.

Then, from a dropdown you can add them to an existing list or create a new list.

The events will then join the other titles on your list.

If the list is public and searchable (check your permisisons) then they will appear with other lists in the in Lists search interface.

Once events pass and they are on a list, they will need to be manually removed if you no longer want them to show. Otherwise, they will say: This event has passed. Staff can manually delete these from lists.

Create an Events Browse Category - From a List

You can create a list or click into an existing list containing events.

Then, click the Add to Browse button at the top. If you don't see this button, check your permissions.

Now, continue to manage your browse categories as you would with any other browse categories. Learn more about browse categories here.

Create an Events Browse Category - From a Search

You can create an Events browse category from a search by going to the in Events dropdown. 

You can add any keywords into the search (exp: yoga, craft, story time) and/or apply any facets along the side to customize your search.

Next, you may consider changing your Sort By option to something like Event Date to order your events. The first event you see in your search will be the first event on your browse category and so on.

Once you are happy with your selection(s), scroll to the bottom of the page and select Add to Browse. If you don't see this button, check your permissions.

Now, continue to manage your browse categories as you would with any other browse categories. Learn more about browse categories here.

Note: Browse Categories based off of event searches are more dynamic and will update as events pass.

To turn events into a Collection Spotlight that you can embded on your library website or Custom page, first go to your Events interface and start building out your search.

You can add any keywords into the search (exp: yoga, craft, story time) and/or apply any facets along the side to customize your search.

Next, you may consider changing your Sort By option to something like Event Date to order your events. The first event you see in your search will be the first event on your Collection Spotlight and so on.

Once you are happy with your selection(s), scroll to the bottom of the page and select Create Spotlight.

Now, continue to manage your Collection Spotlights as you would with any other Collection Spotlights. Learn more about permissions here.

Note: You can also use lists and turn them into Collection Spotlights. These are not going to be as dynamic as Collection Spotlights built off of searches.

One way to promote the events/programs that your library has to offer is by adding a Menu Link to your calendar.

Learn more about setting up Menu Links here.

Some commonly used Font Awesome icons to represent events are:

• calendar
• calendar-alt

One great way to promote Events (especially recurring events and special events) within Aspen is with placards. Placards can even be set with a start and end date so that after the event you don't have to remember to remove them!

Learn more about creating placards.

Here is an example from Euless Public Library.

In this placard, their Friends of the Library were throwing a murdery mystery event. Library staff created a placard and tied it to trigger words like: thriller, mystery, murder, etc. so that users searching for those topics, who would likely be interested in this type of event, would discover this within Aspen.

Here is an example from The Henry Carter Hull Library promoting their recurring Sign Language event.

Events will automatically show in Explore More when a user searches the catalog for keywords that show up in the event title or description.

For example, a search for craft in the library catalog, shows this upcoming event for Craft Connection as well as 15 additional Events.

If a user clicks on the Events calendar, they will be redirected to an in Event search. 

If a user click on the specific event, it will take them out to that event page with more information.

The Events calendar default icon that appears in Explore More can be customized in Aspen Administration > Theme & Layout > Themes > click to settings > Explore More Images > upload an image into Events (400x400px max). Clear your cache and you should start to see the default Events icon replaced with your custom icon. 

The individual event listings cannot be customized at this time and will show the date of the event and the title of the event.

Once you find an event you're interested in, you can click Add to Your Events. Adding an event in Aspen can help you keep track of events you're interested in attending, especially if the event doesn't require registration. After adding to your events, you can view these events from the user account under Your Events.

If an event requires registration, you will see a Registration Information button with the Add to Your Events button below. Clicking "Registration Information" will take users to the native event page with more information about how to register.

In the Event admin settings, you can optionally add a modal box that pops up when users click this button. In this box you can include any additional information or instructions you want users to see before they go out to the native event page to register.

Once you locate an event, you can click on a variety of places to be taken to a detailed events page within Aspen.

You can click on:

• The event title header
• The event calendar cover image
• The more info button

The page will have detailed information about the event including description, audience, program type, related images, date, time and location.

Once you click to Add to Your Events, the event information will be hyperlinked in Account > Your Events as well.

You can quickly locate events that you have saved in a couple of different ways:

Underneath Username

Within Your Account

By URL

Access this section of the account directly at https://{YOUR ASPEN URL}/MyAccount/MyEvents

Notes for Communico Attend

With the Attend integration only, if a user has saved an event to their account in Aspen and they've also registered for the event, the "Registration Required?" column will display the status of "You Are Registered." The events indexer runs every 10 minutes, so depending on the timing of when they registered for the event there could be a slight delay in the status updating in their saved events.

In Aspen, you can sort Your Events by:

• Upcoming Events
• Past Events
• All Events

The default view is Upcoming Events.

To remove events, go to Account > Your Events and click on the Remove button. 

Get instructions on how to generate iframe code from Google here.

Make sure your Google Calendar is set to public, so that it will be visible in Aspen.

Aspen needs the iframe embed code like in this example: