Library Savings

This functionality is available in release 24.10.

Permissions

In order to make changes, you will need the Administer Replacement Costs permissions. These permissions allow the user to set replacement cost values that will be used by all libraries if enabled.

1. Set replacement cost values

Note: It’s best to start here so this feature is not first publicly enabled with all default/$0 values.

1. Go to Aspen Administration > ILS Integration > ILS Indexing Profile and search for replacement cost using the Search for a Property option at the top of the page. Under Item Information > Replacement cost, ensure the appropriate subfield is indicated to determine cost directly from your ILS item records. Save your changes if you made any modifications.

2. Go to Aspen Administration > Catalog / Grouped Works > Replacement Costs, where you will set the default replacement cost value (for non-ILS records and ILS records missing replacement cost values).

3. Click on the Update Active Formats button to create settings for all existing formats in your catalog.

4. Click on Edit to individually modify replacement cost for a specific format or use the Batch Update Selected or Batch Update All options to update group(s) of formats. 

   • A replacement cost value of 0 will exclude the format from the calculation if the price cannot be determined from the record.

2. Turn on Cost savings for your library

1. Keep a tab with the Replacement Cost page open and open a new tab to the Aspen Administration > Primary Configuration > Library systems page. 

2. Click on Edit to individually modify cost savings settings for a single library system or use the Batch Update Selected or Batch Update All options to update group(s) of library systems.

   • If individually updating, select your library system and search for cost savings using the Search for a Property option at the top of the page. The Enable cost savings checkbox and Cost Savings Enabled Explanation should show under ILS/Account Integration. Check the box to enable the setting. Modify the default language in language tab(s) if desired. Save your changes.

   • If Batch updating, click on the applicable Batch Update button and select Enable cost savings from the drop down menu. Check or uncheck the box to enable or disable the feature. Save your changes.

     • You do not have the option to batch update default text from the user interface.

3. Return to your tab open to Aspen Administration > Catalog / Grouped Works > Replacement Costs. With the Cost savings feature now enabled, click the Recalculate Historic Cost Savings at the bottom of the page to recalculate for all formats or individually select the same option per format.

The Enabled Text is:

My Library Savings uses the amount it would take the library to replace library materials you check out to calculate how much you save using the library. When an exact replacement price cannot be determined, the library will use the average price of a similar item. You must have Reading History enabled to see Library Savings for items you have returned to the library. If you do not wish to see your savings from the library, you can opt out of Library Savings below or from your preferences.

The Disabled Text is:

My Library Savings uses the amount it would take the library to replace library materials you check out to calculate how much you save using the library. When an exact replacement price cannot be determined, the library will use the average price of a similar item. You must have Reading History enabled to see Library Savings for items you have returned to the library. If you wish to see your savings from the library, you can opt in to Library Savings below or from your preferences.

To modify replacement cost values after initial setup

1. Go to Aspen Administration > Catalog / Grouped Works > Replacement Costs.

2. If you need to add new catalog formats to your replacement cost settings, first click on Update Active Formats. If not, skip to step 3.

3. Batch or individually update the formats with incorrect replacement cost values. Save your changes.

   • If you want to keep the historic value for those formats and just use the new value moving forward, you need to take no further action.

   • If you modified a $0.00 value that should have its default cost back-dated into patron reading history, click the Recalculate Zero Cost Savings button at the bottom of the page for all formats or individually select the same option per format.

   • If you modified values that need to be completely recalculated using the new value in patron reading histories, click the Recalculate Historic Cost Savings button at the bottom of the page for all formats or individually select the same option per format.

There is a page in the Your Account sidebar titled Library Savings. On this page a patron can see statistics for how much they have saved using the library over time as well as disable the Library Savings feature altogether.

Savings can be viewed monthly or year over year.

Patrons can see how much they are saving with their current checkouts in a message that’s displayed on the Checked Out Titles page. This total will include materials from linked accounts if the patron is linked to other accounts.

For patrons who have reading history enabled, the total a patron has saved for all of the titles in their reading history will display at the top of the Reading History page.