Community Sharing
With these settings, you can:
- Import community content from other libraries
- Create and share community content for other libraries
ByWater Solutions has a shared Community Content Server where Aspen partners can share translations and themes. More sharing features are coming soon!
ByWater Solutions Aspen partners are automatically connected to the Community Content Server.
In order to share content with the community or import content from the community, you need the appropriate permissions.
In System Administration > Permissions > Community Sharing:
Select Share Content with Community in order to share content to the Community Content Server.
Select Import Content from Community to have the ability to add content from the Community Content Server to your installation of Aspen.
Shared Translations
Translations are shared automatically between Aspen partners with a master translation stored on the shared community content server.
Each translation has a unique code specific to that language. The list of Codes for the representation of names of languages published by the Library of Congress is the list of codes used by Aspen. When available, the 2 character code should be used.
If you choose to enable a new language, your initial translation will be based on the shared translation for that language from the community content server.
Learn more about Languages & Translations here.
If a term is untranslated, it will remain untranslated until a partner library translates that term for the given language. Once the term is translated by one partner, that first translation is added to the community translation and is shared to all libraries with that language enabled automatically. These automatic updates take 24 hours to be pushed to all libraries.
If a library chooses to change the translation of a term that came from the community translation, the new translation from the library will be saved as a local translation and NOT shared to the community translation. Local translations cannot be automatically overwritten by community translations and should be changed manually by the local Aspen partner.
Shared Themes
Aspen can support mutliple themes to make the Aspen catalog experience accessible for all users.
Libraries now have the option to share themes with the Community Content Server to access things like a Dark Mode theme and a High Contrast Theme.
To share a theme with the community, edit the theme you want to share from Theme & Layout > Themes.
At the top of the page where you edit the theme, you will see a Share with Community button.
You will then be asked to add a Name and Description for your theme. This is how other libraries will identify it from the Community Content Server. Any identifying information (like library name) and what the theme is will be helpful for other libraries.
Click share to share your theme to the server.
Themes are moderated by ByWater Solutions staff and will need to be approved before being available to the community. If you do not see a theme you believe should be there, contact the Aspen team at ByWater Solutions.
To access shared community themes, from the bottom of the Themes page in Theme & Layout, there will be an Import Community Content button.
After clicking that button, you will have a modal that will allow you to search or browse for themes by name, contributing library, and description. For example, you will see themes provided by ByWater Solutions.
After browsing, select a theme and click Import.
Then, you will be brought to the screen to edit that theme.
You can give it a new name and apply to any libraries that need it.
Logos and custom fonts will not be copied over.
Nothing will synch with the community theme you imported from, you are making a copy of the theme from the community server which you can then modify.
