eContent

In July 2023, Baker & Taylor announced that Axis 360 will be renamed Boundless. 

Set Up

To add Boundless, turn the module on in Aspen Administration > System Administration > Modules.

Once enabled, a new menu, Boundless, will appear in Aspen Administration.

In Boundless > Settings you will need:

• User Interface URL
• Username (ByWater Aspen Team Has)
• Password (ByWater Aspen Team Has)
• Library Prefix (ByWater Aspen Team can reach out to B&T to get)

In Boundless > Scopes, you can create a new scope and apply it to certain libraries and/or locations. 

You'll also want to go to Aspen Administration > Primary Configuration > Library Systems > Boundless (toward the bottom) and make sure the correct scope is selected from the dropdown. 

As of the 24.04 release, Aspen now has the ability to scope Boundless by age/audience.

To view your options, go to Aspen Administration > Boundless > Scopes > click into your existing scope or Add New

A common use for scoping this content is for a seperate kid's catalog. Then, the library can show off their full collections in their main catalog and only show off their kid's or teens materials in their other catalog.

The options are:

• Include Adult Titles
• Include Teen Titles
• Include Kids Titles

Aspen uses grade level and subject data via the API to determine these categories:

• If there are indicators of Children's or Juvenile, then the audience will be Juvenile and be in the Include Kids Titles option
• If there are indicators of Teen or Young Adult, then the audience will be Young Adult and be in the Include Teen Titles option
• If there are indicators of General Adult or Adult, then the audience will be Adult and be in the Include Adult Titles option

This data count be found within the detailed record page > Staff View.

These settings take a Nightly Index to fully update.

Searching

Once loaded, titles will show and group with other physical and econtent you have loaded. From the grouped work display users can check out from Boundless.

My Account

Checked out titles from Boundless will show in My Account > Checked Out Titles with the rest of the user's physical and electronic items.

Titles on Hold from Boundless will show in My Account > Titles on Hold with the rest of the user's physical and electronic holds.

This information is synced across platforms so anything checked out directly from the Boundless site, app or Aspen by this user will all show here in one place.

Account Settings

In My Account > Account Settings > Boundless Options there is an option to control the email address that alerts users about holds placed through Aspen on Boundless items.

Set Up

To add cloudLibrary, turn the module on in Aspen Administration > System Administration > Modules.

Once enabled, a new menu, cloudLibrary, will appear in Aspen Administration.

In cloudLibrary > Settings you will need:

• API URL which is https://partner.yourcloudlibrary.com
• User Interface URL - You can find the User Interface URL here: https://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/ and then you will want to Copy the URL and delete 'featured' from the end. Example: https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/[LibraryName]

The rest of the credentials can be accessed by contacting cloudsupport@bibliotheca.com: 

• Library Id
• Account Id
• API Token

In cloudLibrary > Scopes, you can create a new scope and apply it to certain libraries and/or locations. 

You'll also want to go to Aspen Administration > Primary Configuration > Library Systems > cloudLibrary (toward the bottom) and make sure the correct scope is selected from the dropdown. 

The cloudLibrary API will only share OWNED titles from your library/libraries and will not share titles that may be available as sharing/pay per use collections that are shown on the cloudLibrary site.

As of the 24.04 release, Aspen now has the ability to scope cloudLibrary by age/audience.

To view your options, go to Aspen Administration > Boundless > Scopes > click into your existing scope or Add New

A common use for scoping this content is for a seperate kid's catalog. Then, the library can show off their full collections in their main catalog and only show off their kid's or teens materials in their other catalog.

The options are:

• Include Adult Titles
• Include Teen Titles
• Include Kids Titles

Aspen uses targetAudience via the API to determine these categories:

• If there are indicators of Juvenile, then the audience will be Juvenile and be in the Include Kids Titles option
• If there are indicators of Young Adult, then the audience will be Young Adult and be in the Include Teen Titles option
• If there are indicators of Adult, then the audience will be Adult and be in the Include Adult Titles option

This data currently cannot be found within the detailed record page > Staff View.

This information is available in the database on the server.

These settings take a Nightly Index to fully update.

Searching

Once loaded, titles will show and group with other physical and econtent you have loaded. From the grouped work display users can check out from cloudLibrary.

My Account

Checked out titles from cloudLibrary will show in My Account > Checked Out Titles with the rest of the user's physical and electronic items.

Titles on Hold from cloudLibrary will show in My Account > Titles on Hold with the rest of the user's physical and electronic holds.

Owned Titles vs. cloudLibrary marketplace Titles

Because cloudLibrary only shares owned titles, titles not owned by the library checked out via the shared/pay per use collection, will show by default as Unknown cloudLibrary Title and the management of those will take place on the cloudLibrary website.

This messaging is translatable in Aspen Administration > Languages & Translations > Translations > search for unknown cloud to find. Here are a couple sample messages that libraries have updated for a better user experience.

Enable Module

To add Hoopla, turn the module on in Aspen Administration > System Administration > Modules.

Once enabled, a new menu, Hoopla, will appear in Aspen Administration.

Create Settings

In Hoopla > Settings you will need:

• URL - https://hoopla-api.hoopladigital.com
• Library Id (Reach out to Hoopla or your Aspen Support Team for this)
• API Username (Aspen Support vendor will provide)
• API Password (Aspen Support vendor will provide)

Add hoopla ID to Library System Settings

You will also need to put the Hoopla ID number in Primary Configuration > Library Systems > click into that library system > Hoopla Library ID.

If you see titles loading and no Place Hold button next to the hoopla titles, double check that your hoopla ID is entered in your Library System.

For consortiums: When setting up Hoopla during implementation, we will put the Hoopla ID in of one of your libraries in the Settings. It is often the first ID we are provided with, often alphabetically, but any of your library Hoopla IDs can be put in your Settings. Then, the indiviudal Hoopla IDs tied to the libraries are put in Library Systems > Hoopla ID. By having one set of settings, this prevents Aspen from having to index a million plus records per library system. 

Create Scope

If first setting up hoopla, Go to Hoopla > Scopes > Add New

Give your scope a name (i.e. Main Library hoopla). Each library using Hoopla will need a scope. See below for the various Hoopla scoping options. 

The scope can be published to the library catalog either from hoopla > Scopes > scroll down and check off the Library and Locations or from Primary Configuration > Library Systems > click into that library system > Hoopla scope > select scope from dropdown.

In Hoopla > Scopes, you can create a new scope and apply it to certain libraries and/or locations. 

Note: These changes do not make changes to your Hoopla collection available via Hoopla's site or app, just the results that will display in your Aspen catalog.

Exclude Records With Copies from other eContent Vendors

Exclude Records With Copies from other eContent Vendors (OverDrive, cloudLibrary, Axis 360, etc.) you have a few options to choose from:

• No show all titles 
• Hide Hoopla title if other copies are available
• Hide Hoopla title if other copies are owned - A library may consider to hide Hoopla titles and only show other options for Hoopla cost savings, especially for "classics" or other titles that are readily available in many other formats.

Exclude Collections and Set Up Cost Per Checkout Per Collection

There is also the ability to restrict showing a Hoopla title by cost and/or by Hoopla collection. If the price is greater than then amount set, the record will not show in Aspen.

Libraries can also choose to include/exclude the following collections:

• eBooks
• eComics
• Movies
• Music
• Television
• Binge Pass

Exclude by Audience

As of the 24.04 release, libraries now have the choice to limit down by:

• Include Adult Titles
• Include Teen Titles
• Include Kids Titles

To determine these audience categories:

• We check if the 'Children' flag is on, then we check the rating. 
  • If there is a Children's flag, then the audience will be Juvenile and be in the Include Kids Titles option
  • If we don't get the 'Children' flag or the rating, next we check the genres.
• When determining audience for Hoopla titles by genre, anything with a genre starting with Young Adult is Young Adult and will be in the Include Teens Titles option.
• NRC (Not Rated - Appropriate for Children) titles have an audience of Juvenile and be in the Include Kids Titles option
• NRT (Not Rated - Appropriate for Teens) titles to have an audience of Young Adult and be in the Include Teen Titles option.
• If a TV show has a rating of G or TVG, the audience will also be "General" and be in the Include Adult Titles option.
• If none of these above rules apply, the audience will be Adult and be in the Include Adult Titles option.

This data can be found within the detailed record page > Staff View.

Below is an example of a Hoopla title with the "Children" flag on (value = '1').

Below is an example of a Hoopla title with no value in the "Children" flag.

Next, Aspen checks the genre. The genre is "Drama" and there are no genres indicating the audience should be Young Adult, so Aspen will use the Adult audience for this title.

Exclude by Ratings

In Ratings to Exclude, include any Ratings that you don't want in your catalog. These are based on hoopla's rating scale. If there are multiple, seperate by pipes. Reach out to hoopla with any questions on these ratings.

Exclude by Abridged, Parental Advisory and Records with Profanity

You can choose:

• Exlude Abridged Records (recommended due to the volume of records) 
• Exclude Parental Advisory Records
• Exclude Records With Profanity

Exclude by Genre

In Genres To Exclude, you can add genres you want excluded from your Aspen catalog. Add these one on each line. These are genres as defined by hoopla.

You'll also want to go to Aspen Administration > Primary Configuration > Library Systems > Hoopla (toward the bottom) and make sure the correct scope is selected from the dropdown. 

See How Hoopla Records Are Cataloged

To see the data that Aspen is receiving from Hoopla, you can click into a Hoopla record in Aspen, then open the Staff View to see the Hoopla Extract Information. You will see the various data points that correspond to the scope such as:

• [abridged]
• [profanity]
• [genres]
• [price]
• [kind]

Note: Changes to scopes will take an overnight index to appear.

For single libraries, Aspen will honor the individual titles that are blocked on the Hoopla Administration portal and not load them into the catalog.

For library consortiums, Aspen will honor the individual titles that are blocked on the Hoopla Administration portal of the Hoopla ID defined in the Hoopla Settings and not load them into any of the Aspen catalogs. Because Aspen can only put one Hoopla ID in the settings, you may choose the most restrictive library Hoopla ID or the library that actively blocks titles in Hoopla.

Collections that are marked BINGEPASS via the Hoopla API will be pulled into Aspen automatically as a seperate BINGEPASS format. 

Currently, Aspen will show the available Bingepass Collections that users have access to. 

See a current list of Hoopla Bingepass Titles. 

Users will be taken out to the Hoopla site to check out the Bingepass and then have access to all the titles within that collection.

Currently, you can load Hoopla Flex titles as a Side Load. 

Once side loaded, users will be able to narrow down by Hoopla Flex titles. The eContent Collection facet will include any econtent collections that are loaded into Aspen via the API and via side load.  

When the titles are added, Aspen will search for like titles, authors, and expressions of the work to group with.

Because the titles are side loaded, the user will manage the Hoopla Flex checkout via Hoopla's site. Hoopla titles coming in via the API can all be directly managed within Aspen.

Searching

Once loaded, titles will show and group with other physical and econtent you have loaded. From the grouped work display users can check out from Hoopla.

My Account

Checked out titles from hoopla will show in My Account > Checked Out Titles with the rest of the user's physical and electronic items.

This information is synced across platforms so anything checked out directly from the hoopla site, app or Aspen by this user will all show here in one place.

Account Settings

In My Account > Account Settings > Hoopla Options  there is an option to control the email address that alerts users about checkouts placed through Aspen on Hoopla items.

This option relates to the pop up that asks the user if they are sure if they want to use one of their X amount of checkouts a month on that title that pops up when they check out an item in Aspen.

If a user has never used Hoopla before then they will still need to register their account via Hoopla before they can make checkouts in Aspen. If they attempt to check something out via Aspen, they will get an error that says "We are unable to find a hoopla digital account for {library card number}. Please register at https://www.hoopladigital.com/register." 

Once the user registers in Hoopla, usually by selecting their library, putting in their library card number (and sometimes pin) and registering their email address, the connection with Aspen is almost immediate.

When the user clicks Check Out in Aspen, they will see how many checkouts they have left.

Then, once they click Check Out, they will see a successful checkout and how many more titles they have available to borrow this month.

Titles checked out in Aspen also show up pretty simultaneously within the Hoopla site.

Here is a link to Hoopla's Help Documentation to troubleshoot errors and get access to FAQs.

To being, you'll need to fill out OverDrive's Developer Application to submit to OverDrive in order to get your API credentials. Even if you already have an API connection with OverDrive, they will need this form to allow your account access to your new discovery layer. Keep in mind that this can sometimes take 7-14 business days to receive your credentials.

Note: If you do not currently have your existing Client Secret on record, you will need to request them to reset this for you as well. Having your secret reset will impact any other vendors you're using with the OverDrive API (ex: your existing OPAC/ILS, library apps like Communico, etc). OverDrive confirms with you that this will be the case prior to making any changes so there is an opportunity to coordinate with other vendors before the changes are applied. If you have questions about this, please ask your OverDrive support representative.

To add Libby, turn the module on in Aspen Administration > System Administration > Modules.

Once enabled, a new Libby menu will appear in Aspen Administration.

In Libby > Settings you will need:

• Your OverDrive URL - exp: https://{library}.overdrive.com
• Patron API URL - http://patron.api.overdrive.com
• Client Key
• Client Secret
• Account ID
• Website ID
• Products Key

When your API application is approved, OverDrive will send you the above credentials. You can email your Implementation Specialist or follow the steps below:

1. Enter the OverDrive URL, Patron API URL, Client Key, Client Secret, Account ID, and Website ID and Save.

2. Make sure the boxes are checked for Enable updated checkout fulfillment interface and Show Libby promo in checkout fulfillment interface.

3. In Libby> API Information, click Library Account Information to expand and find the Products Key in [collectionToken]. Copy and paste this into Libby > Settings > Products Key.

4. Next, go to Libby > Scopes. If you're setting up for a single library system, edit the existing scope and apply the settings to your library/locations. If you have multiple libraries with their own accounts, you can create new scopes and apply them to certain libraries and/or locations. If you need help with this, please reach out to Aspen support.

Note: for the setting "is a PIN Required to log into OverDrive website?" confirm what is asked for on your current OverDrive digital website. If the site only asks for the library card number, make sure this setting is unchecked.

5. If you have an Advantage account, go to Libby > API Information to find your Advantage credentials. There may be multiple Advantage accounts listed, and they are not in alphabetical order, so using CTRL+F to search for your library can be helpful. Find your library, then copy and paste the exact library name (as shown) into Libby > Scopes > OverDrive Advantage Name, and copy and paste in the OverDrive Advantage Products Key. 

6. In Reader Name, enter Libby, unless you'd like to have collections display as something like 'Libby/OverDrive' or 'OverDrive' instead.

7. Go to Aspen Administration > Primary Configuration > Library Systems > Libby (toward the bottom) and make sure the correct scope is selected from the dropdown menu.

If you are also changing vendors for your ILS during your Aspen implementation it is imperative that you let OverDrive know you are switching ILSes and you have the correct SIP connections set up with your new ILS for OverDrive authentication for your go live day. The Libby collections are being pulled in through the API but the authentication of the users to check if they are an active patron in good standing take places through the ILS/SIP.

If you have an Advantage Account, that information will be shared via the API once we put in your credentials and we will set those up for you. With libraries with separate scoped catalogs, that means each catalog can highlight shared collections and Advantage Collections only available to their patrons.

Aspen doesn't make any specific API calls to look for Cost Per Circ titles. Within the incremental updates in the Libby > Indexing Log, it will see if a title is available or not and update the record availability based off of that. 

The checkouts of the Cost Per Circ titles will be handled on the backend of OverDrive.

Kanopy was purchased by OverDrive but titles are not included in the Libby API at this time. This would be an enhancement request to OverDrive to develop. Currently, Kanopy titles can be sideloaded into Aspen. Kanopy and Kanopy - Premium MARC records are available by request from the vendor. For Kanopy titles available via Subsciption and/or Bundles, check your Kanopy staff interface to see if titles are available for download. See their Help Documentation to learn more.

These titles are exclusively offered via the OverDrive interface or the Libby app and not shared via the API.

If you are school or public library you might have a product called Sora instead of Libby. We can load titles from the API via filling up the set up application above.

The biggest difference we see with this set up is that the authorization of the check out takes place outside of Aspen, usually through the student's school email address. In this case, there will be an Access Online button instead of a Check Out or Place Hold button in Aspen. 

Searching

Once loaded, titles will show and group with other physical and econtent you have loaded. From the grouped work display users can check out from Libby.

Users will also have the option to Preview Libby titles - both from ebooks and eaudiobooks. Sometimes there are mutliple previews available if there are different versions/editions/length of clips

My Account

Checked out titles from Libby will show in My Account > Checked Out Titles with the rest of the user's physical and electronic items.

Titles on Hold from OverDrive/Libby will show in My Account > Titles on Hold with the rest of the user's physical and electronic holds.

This information is synced across platforms, so anything checked out directly from the OverDrive site, Libby app, or Aspen by this user will all show here in one place.

When users sign into Aspen for the first time, any existing checkouts/holds from the Libby app or OverDrive site should load into their Aspen account. Likewise, any holds or checkouts place on Libby items from Aspen should show up in the Libby app/OverDrive site.

Account Settings

In My Account > Account Settings > Libby Options there are some options related to OverDrive/Libby checkouts/holds through Aspen.

These are settings related to the email address and loan periods related to activty of items within Aspen. This is for users who may not want to have to log into OverDrive/Libby to make those changes and who use Aspen primarliy for all of their account activity.

As of the 23.12 release, Aspen uses the word Libby.

In Libby > Scopes > Reader Name, Libby is enetered by default.

You can have have collections display like 'Libby/OverDrive' instead by adjusting this field.

If a user sees the error: Sorry, but we could not place a hold for you on this title. Invalid 'emailAddress' format when trying to play a hold on a Libby title, go to Your Account > Libby Options and look in the Libby Hold email field to see if there are any spaces or if someone accidently entered something besides a valid email address. Fix any mistakes and Save. This should now start to work.

In this screenshot, there are extra spaces in the email causing errors.

Enable Module

To enable the Palace Project module, go to Aspen Administration > System Administration > Modules > find and edit 'Palace Project' > check the box for 'Enabled?'

Check Permissions

To administer Palace Project settings, you will need the following permissions:

• Administer Palace Project: Allows the user to configure Palace Project integration for all libraries.

Create Settings

From Aspen administration, head to Palace Project > Settings > click Add New.

You will need to enter in the following credentials:

• Palace Project URL
• Library ID/short name

If you have access to your Palace Collection Manager, you can simply navigate to it and login to find your credentials. After logging in, the information you need will be available in the URL bar.

• The URL is your state abbreviation followed by .thepalaceproject.org (so for example vt.thepalaceproject.org).
• The library ID/short name is also listed in the URL bar and is your IMLS FSCS ID (so for example VT1234).

If you do not have access to your Palace Collection Manager, can't remember how to login, or need assistance assembling this information, you can reach out to the Palace Project support team at support@thepalaceproject.org

Once your credentials are entered in, add any additional information for users in the Instructions For Using Palace Project text box.

The Default tab is the text that would display for any user interface. If you'd like to translate this text into other languages that have been added to your interface, click the additional tabs to do so. You can click the Copy From Default button to copy over the base text. Any formatting or images used will come over as well, so all you'll need to do is translate the text.

Save your changes when finished.

Define the Scope

Once the Palace Project setting is saved, Aspen will automatically create a corresponding Scope setting in Palace Project > Scopes. 

In order for Palace Project content to display in search results, you must edit the scope and select the Libraries and Locations that should have access to this content.

Once the scope is saved with the applicable libraries and locations selected, content will begin to appear in search results as the records index.

As of the 24.04 release, Aspen now has the ability to scope Palace Project by age/audience.

To view your options, go to Aspen Administration > Palace Project > Scopes > click into your existing scope or Add New

A common use for scoping this content is for a seperate kid's catalog. Then, the library can show off their full collections in their main catalog and only show off their kid's or teens materials in their other catalog.

The options are:

• Include Adult Titles
• Include Teen Titles
• Include Kids Titles

Aspen uses audience data via the API to determine these categories:

• If there are indicators of Children, then the audience will be Juvenile and be in the Include Kids Titles option
• If there are indicators of Young Adult, then the audience will be Young Adult and be in the Include Teen Titles option
• If there are indicators of Adult, then the audience will be Adult and be in the Include Adult Titles option

This data count be found within the detailed record page > Staff View.

These settings take a Nightly Index to fully update.

Aspen will automatically pull in all Palace Project Collections into Aspen Administration > Palace Project > Collections.

The easiest way to modify and view all of your collections is to go to Aspen Administration > Palace Project > Settings > click into your settings > scroll to Collections 

In the Aspen Display Name, you can update how this collection appears in facets and search results.

You can also decide if that specific collection Has Circulation (check outs and holds via Aspen) and/or if you want to Include in Aspen to add/remove collections.

These settings take a Nightly Index to fully update.

Searching

Users will be able to discover Palace Project content along with any other content in the catalog search results.

Users can also browse Palace Project collections within the eContent Collection facet.

My Account

Checked out titles from Palace Project will show in Your Account > Checked Out Titles with the rest of the user's physical and electronic items. Clicking the Palace Project tab will filter just to those items.

Checking out Palace Project Titles

When users click Palace Project Instructions, a new modal window will appear with instructions for downloading the Palace Project app. These instructions can be modified by an Aspen administrator in the Palace Project settings.

Aspen integrates with a number of different econtent providers. There are corresponding reporting Dashboards for Boundless (formerly Axis360), CloudLibrary, EBSCOhost and EDS, Hoopla, and Libby. What's important to remember with these reports is that these just track user interactions with the econtent platforms done through Aspen. For full econtent reporting, you'd still want to check the data available within your econtent provider's reporting dashboards.

These econtent dashboards have similar data offerings, including:

• Active Users - Users within Aspen that have had successful check out or placed a successful hold
• Records With Usage - Records with usage is total number of unique titles that have been checked out or placed on hold. So that number should be less than the number of holds and loans combined.
• Loans - All successful checkouts in Aspen
• Renewals - Number of successful renewals in Aspen. Because a renewal is essentially a hold, some of those (the holds that were fulfilled and accessed via Aspen) are included in all time loans.
• Downloads - Downloads is the number of times the download button was clicked. So, if you have a user that is using Aspen to access the read online version, there would be one click for each time they opened the book OR if a user downloaded a title on one device but then needed it downloaded on another, that would result in 2 downloads for the same title.
• Options Updates - Updating their user preferences in Aspen's My Account
• API Errors - Anytime there is an error back when accessing a record; like when placing a hold or checking out and user receives an error; if you're noticing a lot of them, let us know; we're not automatically monitoring these
• Connection Failures - OverDrive entire APIs are down; should be zero for everyone

eContent from providers allowing users to place holds (ie OverDrive) will display the holds queue information in the user account.

This information is separate from holds queue information for content within your ILS, and it cannot be disabled or suppressed at this time.

To view your options, go to Aspen Administration > Libby > Scopes > click into your existing scope or Add New

A common use for scoping this content is for a seperate kid's catalog. Then, the library can show off their full collections in their main catalog and only show off their kid's or teens materials in their other catalog.

The options are:

• Include Adult Titles
• Include Teen Titles
• Include Kids Titles

For Libby titles Aspen looks at subjects:

• If subjects indicate Juvenile, then the audience if Juvenile and included in the Include Kids Titles.
• If the subjects indicate Young Adult or YA, then the audience is Young Adult and included in the Include Teen Titles.
• If those don't exist, it assumes Adult and included in the Include Kids Titles.

This data count be found within the detailed record page > Staff View.

These settings take a Nightly Index to fully update.