Image Loading Optimization: Improved the handling of item images to ensure that backup images are efficiently retrieved and displayed. This enhancement enhances the visual presentation of items within the app.
System Calendar Integration: Added functionality to prompt patrons to select their preferred calendar when adding events to their personal device calendar.
Dynamic Home Tabs: Libraries now have greater flexibility in curating the home screen experience for their patrons with different types of tabs.
Notification Confirmation: The app now prompts patrons with a confirmation dialog for notifications.
Redundant Action Prevention: A new check has been implemented to verify if patrons are already viewing the target page for an Ad-hoc Push Notification, set in the Content Management System, when a notification is received. This helps avoid unnecessary reloading of content and provides a smoother user experience.
Stripe Payment Integration: We’ve enhanced the app’s payment processing with integrating Stripe, a secure and reliable payment solution. Requires an existing relationship with Stripe.
Princh Integration (Beta): The app now supports Princh, enabling seamless mobile printing. Patrons can send print jobs directly from their device and follow a simple payment process for hassle-free printing at the library. Requires an existing relationship with Princh.
Boundless eReader Integration (Beta): The Solus Library App is integrating the Boundless eReader, allowing patrons to access and read digital content directly within the app.
Updates
Improved Item Detail Popup: The reading session item details popup, within the Reading Tracker, has been optimized for a better patron experience, ensuring that all relevant item information is clearly presented.
Responsive User Interface Improvements: Enhanced the responsiveness of the patron interface, particularly in areas involving image rendering and item selection. This change ensures a more fluid user experience when navigating through the app.
Improved Layout Alignment: Adjusted margin properties for various elements, promoting better alignment and centering across the app’s layout. This change enhances visual coherence, making the app more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate.
Consistent Item Media Styles: Standardized styles for images in lists related to holds, loans, and charges. The border radius and width have been refined to create a more uniform look, contributing to a polished interface.
Enhanced Accessibility Features: Improved the My Account menu tabs for patrons using screen reader and large text modes, ensuring easier navigation and better access to essential functions within the app.
Seamless Homepage Redraw: Updated the home screen to refresh dynamically based on accessibility settings within the patron’s device, ensuring they receive a coherent and user-friendly interface.
Formatted Time Display for Reading Tracker: Adjusted the display format for the time spent reading and the longest reading session by removing the comma for a more streamlined appearance. The format now shows hours and minutes separated by a space.
Consistent Book Completion Rate Display: Ensured that the book completion rate is displayed as a percentage with one decimal place for consistency and clarity in the stats overview within the Reading Tracker.
Enhanced Error Handling in Checkout Process: Improved the detection of errors during the self-check checkout process to provide patrons with more information when issues arise.
User Feedback While Logging Out: When a patron initiates the logout process, a loading spinner is displayed to indicate that the logout is in progress. This provides visual feedback and reassures the patron that their request is being processed.
Fallback to Cached Data: In the event of a failure to retrieve item details in the Reading Tracker, the system will attempt to use previously cached data to populate item information. This includes details such as title, author, and cover image, ensuring a seamless patron experience even when live data retrieval fails.
Search Dropdown Adjustments: The search filter dropdowns have been updated to dynamically adjust their size to accommodate longer text. This update ensures that text that would typically get cut off is fully visible, improving usability and providing patrons with a more seamless search experience.
Spinner Removal on Login Failure: When a login attempt fails due to an unresponsive Integrated Library System (ILS) / Library Management System (LMS), the loading spinner will now be removed, ensuring that users are not left with an indefinite loading indicator and providing clearer feedback about the status of their login request.
Simplified Home Screen View: Patrons can now choose whether to view the app’s home screen in a simplified view or a full view that aligns with the new types of dynamic tabs available for libraries to configure. This option is available within the Preferences menu within My Account. The Simplified View is an accessibility feature developed with guidance from RNIB and is available by default and is not a configuration option in the Content Management System. Related translation strings include:
Preference_SimplifiedView_Auto
Preference_SimplifiedView_Header
Preference_SimplifiedView_Normal
Preference_SimplifiedView_Simple
Simplified Patron Tab Reorder: The tab reorder option, within the Preferences menu, has been condensed into a smaller menu by default. Related translation string:
Preferences_IconOrderButton.
Checkout History Last Updated: The app will now tell the patron when the last time their checkout history has been updated. Related translation string:
App_Refreshed.
Hold Queue Label Support: Patrons can now see the total hold queue for an item, allowing for better expectations management. This update may not be available for all ILS/LMS/Search Providers. Related translation string:
ItemDetail_HoldQueueLabel.
IMMS Holds Sorting: Holds are now sorted by location, followed by IMMSHoldPlacementText and then pickup date. This update improves the organization of holds, allowing patrons to better manage their holds based on location and expected pickup times.
Updated My Account Panel: The My Account panel has been redesigned with clearer groupings and updated icons, making it easier for patrons to manage their account and settings.
Fixes
Resolved Language Translation Issue: Fixed a bug where the first book carousel title would not translate correctly when a patron changed the language in the app. Now, when a patron selects ‘More’ after switching languages, the carousel title updates properly to reflect the selected language.
Event Visibility Enhancement: Implemented a fix to prevent events from disappearing from the app right before they occur. The new logic ensures that events are retained for viewing until they are officially cancelled or have started, improving the reliability of event visibility for patrons.
Cover Art Display in Reading Tracker: The issue where cover art was not displaying in the Reading Tracker has been fixed. Patrons can now view cover images for items in the Reading Tracker.
Reading Tracker ISBN Search: The ISBN search functionality in the Reading Tracker has been fixed to allow patrons to successfully retrieve an item using the ISBN.
Self-Check Spelling Correction: A spelling error in the RFID Self-Check process, where “Too Many Taps” was displayed when too many tags were detected in one pass, has been corrected to “Too Many Tags”. Related translation string:
Circ_TooManyTags.
Biometric Lock Issue: Resolved an issue where the biometric lock was being triggered twice during authentication attempts, providing a smoother and more reliable patron experience when accessing the patron’s account with biometrics.
