In this article, we will go over frequently asked questions pertaining to the Aeon 5.2 update.
Updating to Aeon 5.2
How do I update to Aeon 5.2?
Before you begin updating, please review the Hardware and Software Requirements for Version 5.2. In particular, take note of the new server requirement for the Microsoft ASP.NET Core 2.2 Runtime bundle. For specific instructions on updating, see Updating Aeon to the Newest Version.
Will I have to uninstall my previous version of Aeon before updating to 5.2?
Aeon 5.2 allows users to install the Client at the user level without requiring the use of escalated admin privileges. If you choose to install the 5.2 Client using this method and have previously only installed the Client at the machine level, then older per-machine installations of the Aeon Client will need to be manually uninstalled either before or after the 5.2 Client installation. However, if you choose to install the 5.2 Client as a per-machine installation, then this will automatically overwrite previous versions of the Client on the machine for you.
How do I install per-user?
First, update the server using the Installing the Aeon Server instructions. Then, have each user update the client using the Updating the Aeon Client (v5.1+) per-user instructions.
Will there be full release notes available for Aeon 5.2?
They are now available in the Aeon 5.2 Release Notes.
Will my system automatically update to Aeon 5.2 on release day?
No. You can schedule your Aeon server update with Atlas Hosting Services or your local server administrator (if self-hosted) for a time that works for you.
I am self-hosted. How can I install the Aeon 5.2 server?
The server installation/update for self-hosted sites must be performed using the Aeon Server installation and update PowerShell scripts. You must download the new Aeon 5.2 installer scripts to perform the server update. See Installing the Aeon Server for more information.
How do I receive updates when new versions of Aeon are made publicly available?
Atlas Systems provides release updates and training opportunities through the following modes of communication:
Aeon Community Forum: https://support.atlas-sys.com/hc/en-us/community/topics/115000191207-Aeon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/atlassystems
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlassystems/
General
I don't use appointment scheduling features. How does this update affect me?
The Aeon 5.2 update includes the following new features that do not require using the appointment scheduling features to implement:
Updating to Aeon 5.2 will allow you to install updated versions of addons using the new WebView2 browser. As these addons are more stable than addons using the Chromium and IE browsers, it is highly recommended that you update your addons to new WebView2 versions whenever possible.
Deprecation of MainMenu.html and New Web Home Page Options
Aeon 5.2 includes a new WebHomePage key in the Aeon Customization Manager (under Web Interface | Defaults) that allows you to set the home page of the Aeon web interface to one of three options. If you are updating from Aeon 5.1, Main Menu will be configured in this key as the home page by default. However, the MainMenu.html file has been deprecated and this page will not be updated or included in future web page releases. As a best practice, please consider changing the value of the WebHomePage key to set the home page to another option to avoid any future issues that may be caused by the deprecation of the Main Menu web page.
Aeon 5.2 includes the new web interface functionality first implemented in the Aeon Server v5.1.14 point release for handling requests submitted from the EAD request form when the number of requests submitted by the user would exceed their request limit. Please review the documentation linked above and configure the new settings if you had not previously configured these settings in Aeon 5.1.
Support for the Updated ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment Plugin
Updating to Aeon 5.2 will allow you to also update your ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment plugin (if you are using this plugin to integrate Aeon with ArchivesSpace) to implement a variety of new features that will enhance your Aeon-ArchivesSpace integration and improve the requesting process for your patrons. For details, see the release notes.
New Scheduled Date Calendar and Web Page Accessibility Fixes
After updating to Aeon 5.2, the latest default web pages can be installed to implement a variety of important accessibility fixes and other features, including a new fully accessible date picker calendar for the Scheduled Date field. For more information, see the release notes and Implementing 5.2 Web page Changes article.
What information is tracked by the new telemetry data collection in the Aeon Client/API?
The telemetry data collection feature will track the number of times each form and button is used in the Aeon Client and each time an endpoint is used in the Aeon API. This information will help us identify which areas to target for future enhancements. The data collected will not be associated with your institution and will not be shared with third parties. To ensure user privacy, no personally identifying data including request, appointment, activity, staff, or user details will be collected.
Can I turn off the telemetry data collection?
Yes. You can disable telemetry data collection at any time by adding two new customization keys to the Aeon Customization Manager. For more information, see Aeon Telemetry Data Collection. If you need assistance disabling data collection, contact support@atlas-sys.com.
Addons
Will my addons continue to work after updating to Aeon 5.2?
Addons will not experience any issues after the update to Aeon 5.2 and you should be able to continue to use them with no break in functionality.
Do I need to update my addons to WebView2 versions after updating to Aeon 5.2?
Updating to Aeon 5.2 will not remove support for the Chromium or IE browsers from the Aeon Client, so it is not required to update your pre-existing addons to new WebView2 versions after updating.
However, due to Microsoft’s end of support for Internet Explorer and intermittent issues with the Chromium embedded browser, we cannot guarantee that addons using the IE and Chromium browsers will work indefinitely with Aeon. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that addon developers update addons to include support for WebView2 and that users update their addons to the new WebView2 versions when available.
Which addons have been updated to use WebView2?
The Aeon ArchivesSpace Client Addon has been updated in conjunction with the Aeon 5.2 release to use the new WebView2 embedded browser. When the new version of the addon is installed, it will check to determine which version of Aeon you are using. If you are on Aeon 5.2, it will default to using the WebView2 embedded browser. If you are on an earlier version of Aeon, such as Aeon 5.1, the addon will instead use the embedded Chromium browser. For information on installing the updated addon, please see the addon's page in the Aeon Addon Directory. The Aeon Alma Primo VE Catalog Addon will also be updated in the near future to implement WebView2 support.
To request a WebView2 update for additional addons in the Aeon Addon Directory, please contact support@atlas-sys.com. Note that Atlas Systems does not support user-created or custom addons. In these cases, additional custom service work will be quoted to update the addon to WebView2.
Appointment Scheduling
What will happen to my existing reading room settings in the Aeon Customization Manager after updating to Aeon 5.2?
Each existing reading room calendar configured in the Aeon Customization Manager prior to updating will have the following settings imported into a default, non-status-specific row in the room's Status-Specific Policies table after updating to Aeon 5.2:
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- Pre-existing Minimum/Maximum Lead Days values will be imported into both sets of the new Appointment Minimum/Maximum Lead Days and Request Minimum/Maximum Lead Days settings
- Auto-Confirm Appointments will be unchecked (disabled), meaning appointments booked in the room from the web interface must be manually confirmed by staff in the Aeon Client
- Reminder Days will be set to -1 (disabling reminder emails)
- Notify Appointment Received will be checked (enabling appointment received emails)
- Appointment Required will contain the value that was configured for the setting in Aeon 5.1
All other pre-existing settings for the room will remain the same in the Customization Manager after updating.
What will happen to my existing appointments after updating to Aeon 5.2?
Appointments that were booked prior to the Aeon 5.2 update will be automatically set to the Confirmed status after updating.
Do I have to update my existing appointment scheduling web pages to use the new features?
The Aeon 5.1 appointment scheduling web pages are fully compatible with the new DLL features implemented by the 5.2 update, so an immediate web page update is not required to take advantage of most new features including the new status-specific policy configurations, appointment confirmation and notification options, and the new web validation behavior that will properly apply the appointment requirement setting based on the reading room selected. However, to ensure that the new web validation for appointments is applied properly across your web pages, you will need to update the WebValidation table with new entries for the ReadingRoomID field as soon as possible after updating. See the documentation for instructions.
Which new features require me to update my appointment scheduling web pages?
Certain new features will require a web page update to implement, including the new patron web scheduling interface using the updated fully accessible date picker calendar, filter options for the View Appointments web page, the addition of the new appointment status fields, and other important accessibility fixes. New features that require the updated 5.2 appointment scheduling web pages to implement are indicated in the Appointment Scheduling Web Interface article.
How can I implement the new appointment scheduling web pages?
The appointment scheduling web pages are not included in the 5.2 web pages by default and must be separately downloaded and added to your web directory as feature-specific pages. A few changes to the appointment scheduling web pages will also require updating several default web pages. Specific web page update instructions will vary depending on if you are updating pre-existing 5.1 appointment scheduling pages or if you are implementing the appointment scheduling web pages for the first time in Aeon 5.2:
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For more information on implementing these changes in your pre-existing Aeon 5.1 appointment scheduling web pages, see Implementing 5.2 Web Page Changes.
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If you are implementing these pages for the first time in Aeon 5.2, please see the Implementing Appointment Scheduling Web Pages (5.2) article for implementation instructions
If you find that you don't have the capacity or necessary resources at your institution to make these web page changes yourself, Atlas is offering a smaller web tune-up package at a reduced cost specifically for helping you to implement this feature. To learn more, please contact Atlas Support at support@atlas-sys.com.
Can Atlas help me implement the appointment scheduling web pages if I am a self-hosted site?
Yes, our web tune-up package is available for both hosted and self-hosted sites. Please contact Atlas Support at support@atlas-sys.com for more information.
When is the Appointment Reminder email sent out to patrons if that reminder email is enabled for appointments scheduled in a reading room?
The Appointment Reminder email will be sent out according to the start time of the patron's appointment and the number of days entered in the Reminder Days setting for the reading room in the Aeon Customization Manager. For example, if the Reminder Days setting is set to "1," the reminder email will be sent to the patron 24 hours in advance of the appointment start time/date (e.g, an appointment scheduled for 9am on Monday would have the reminder email sent at 9am on the Sunday before). Likewise, if the Reminder Days setting is set to "2," then the email will be sent to the patron 48 hours in advance of the appointment start time.
For more information on configuring these settings, see Appointment Confirmation and Notification Settings.
I'm not sure how best to set the Reminder Days setting for my reading room. Are there any recommended guidelines to follow?
It is highly recommended to make the value in the Reminder Days setting at least one day greater than the value in the Request Min Lead Days setting so that the Appointment Reminder email goes out in advance of the deadline to submit new requests for the appointment. For example, if the Request Min Lead Days setting is set to 3 then the Reminder Days setting should be set to 4 or greater. This will give patrons some time to organize and submit all requests for materials they would like to see during their appointment after receiving the reminder email.
Is it possible to configure the Request Min Lead Days setting so that patrons can add new requests to their appointment while it is in progress and they are signed into the reading room?
No, new requests cannot be added to an appointment that has already started. Entering a value of 0 into the Request Min Lead Days setting for the room will allow patrons to associate requests with the appointment on the day of the appointment up until the appointment's start time, but once the appointment begins they will not be able to submit new requests.
My reading room is open from 9:00am-12:00pm, then closed from 12:00pm-1:00pm, and open again from 1:00pm-4:00pm. If a patron wants to book a full-day appointment, will they need to create two separate appointments for that day?
Yes, the patron will need to book two separate appointments on that day since patrons would not be able to book an appointment during the hour that the room is closed. However, staff can override this restriction in the Aeon Client and extend the patron’s first appointment to the length of the whole day, if necessary.
Can I limit the number of requests a user can associate with an appointment?
No, the user's request limit will still be based on the value set at the system level.
My institution encourages patrons to make requests at least seven days in advance of their visit. Can we also configure our reading room settings so that the patron must make their appointment at least seven days in advance of their date of visit?
Yes, you can set the minimum number of days in advance that an appointment must be requested in the Appt Min Lead Days setting for the reading room in the Aeon Customization Manager. If you would like to have patrons book appointments at least seven days in advance, the Appt Min Lead Days setting for the reading room should be set to 7.
For more information on configuring these settings, see Configuring Reading Room Calendars.
If I set the "Seats Available for Appointments" setting for my reading room in the Aeon Customization Manager to "4," does this mean that at any given time during the room's Open Hours there can only be a maximum of 4 booked patrons?
Yes, the Seats Available for Appointments setting will ensure that no more than the number of seats entered into the setting is booked in that room by patrons at any given time.
Is it possible to confirm multiple appointments at once from the Appointment Confirmation interface in the Aeon Client?
No, at this time all appointments must be individually confirmed within the Aeon Client.
What is the purpose of the "Available to Proxies?" checkbox on the appointment scheduler tool that is used to book appointments on the patron web pages?
Users in Aeon can be configured as proxies for other users, allowing the proxy user to submit requests for the user for whom they are a proxy. Typically, a proxy is an assistant for a researcher or faculty member who may do research on their behalf. If the Available to Proxies? checkbox is checked when the researcher user creates an appointment, then any of their proxies will be able to see that appointment in the Aeon web interface and add requests to it.
My institution has a workflow in place to manually "confirm" requests by routing them into a custom queue once we can confirm the item's availability. Will confirming an appointment change the status of associated requests and affect this workflow?
No, confirming an appointment will not change the status of any associated requests meaning that you will still be able to use your request confirmation workflow alongside the new appointment confirmation workflow.
ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment via Aeon Plugin
How do I update my plugin to the new version?
To download and install the updated plugin, visit the ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment via Aeon GitHub. If your ArchivesSpace repository is hosted by Atlas Systems, contact support@atlas-sys.com to request an update.
Will updating the plugin automatically start sending users to the new Archival Request box picker form?
No. The updated plugin will only send users to the Archival Request form from ArchivesSpace if the new :top_container_mode setting has been activated. Please review the Archival Request form documentation for more information on configuring Aeon and the ArchivesSpace plugin to use the new form.
How can I add the new Archival Request form to my web directory?
The web page files used for the new Archival Request form are available in the Aeon 5.2 default web pages download on the Aeon Downloads page. If you are using appointment scheduling features, then you will also need to download the new Aeon 5.2 feature-specific web pages and implement two additional files to configure the form for appointments. Please see the Archival Request form documentation for complete instructions.
Can I edit the messages that will display in ArchivesSpace if a record isn't requestable?
Yes. The default messages used to replace the Aeon Request button in ArchivesSpace when a record is not requestable can be overridden with custom text by changing the plugin settings. See ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment via Aeon for more details.
Can I edit the messages that appear below offsite and restricted containers on the Archival Request form?
Yes. These messages can be edited by changing the value of the ArchivalRequestOffsiteContainerMessage and ArchivalRequestContainerRestricted keys in the Aeon Customization Manager under Web Interface | Archival Request.
I've updated to Aeon 5.2. How can I use the new Access Restrictions and Container ID fields with the ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment plugin?
After updating to Aeon 5.2, the OpenURLMapping table can be updated with new rows for the AccessRestrictions and ContainerID fields if you wish to map data from ArchivesSpace to these fields in Aeon. For more information on configuring this table for the plugin, see ArchivesSpace Request Fulfillment via Aeon. Please note that these fields are not present on the Request form in the Aeon Client by default and must be manually added using the Client layout customization features.
Web Interface
- Will the new default web pages overwrite any customizations I may have on my current web pages?
No, the web pages are not installed automatically during the update. A complete set of 5.2 web pages are available for download on the Aeon Downloads page. Having the web pages downloaded separately from the update installers prevents overwriting any customizations your institution may have created.
If you have any questions or require Concierge Services when implementing the new web pages, please contact support at support@atlas-sys.com.
- Recent security measures put into place by web browsers such as Google Chrome have forced my patrons to log back into the Aeon web interface every time they place a request from an external website such as the library catalog or other finding aid system. Does the Aeon 5.2 release include changes that will re-enable the "silent login" feature for my patrons (i.e., allow users to stay logged in when placing requests from an external system)?
Yes, the Aeon 5.2 release includes a new WebCookieSameSite customization key that will set the SameSite property on the Aeon web interface's session cookie, allowing users to remain logged in when placing requests from most external systems. For more information, see Configuring Login Persistence Options for External Websites.
Note that the WebCookieSameSite key only affects login persistence options for institutions that are not using the Atlas Authentical Portal. Institutions using the Atlas Auth Portal will need to update their Auth Portal to v1.3.2 after the Aeon 5.2 update to apply these changes. For more information, see the Atlas Auth Portal v1.3.2 release notes. Atlas-hosted Aeon institutions that use the Auth Portal will have this update applied to their web pages automatically during the 5.2 server update process.