What's new in ArchivesSpace v3.1.x
If this is your first time moving into a version of ArchivesSpace past 3.x, please note that there are two ArchivesSpace webinars detailing the new Agents model. The first, An Introduction to ArchivesSpace v3.0.0 and the Expanded Agents Module provides an overview of the changes associated with v3.0+. That webinar featured explanations around the origins of the re-design including a presentation from the SNAC Project. A later webinar, Understanding the Changes to the ArchivesSpace Agents Module repeated some of the info in the first, but with more detail and examples. Atlas recommends watching both webinars, but if you only have time for one, we recommend the second.
ArchivesSpace v3.1.0 was released on September 20, 2021 and 3.1.1 was released on November 19, 2021. Since 3.1.1 is a patch or point release for 3.1.0, these two versions are presented together. Staff at ArchivesSpace Member Institutions are encouraged to reference the ArchivesSpace Help Center for additional documentation.
Are you skipping over versions?
Changes to ASpace are cumulative so remember to read the official release notes for any versions you are skipping over. The last release of ASpace prior to v3.1.0 was 3.0.2. Here are convenient links to Atlas articles on previous and subsequent versions. Information about 3.1.x point releases is included in this article.
3.1.0 Updates
3.1.0 was released on September 20, 2021. The main focus of development for AS 3.1.0 were a number of accessibility improvements, particularly for the PUI. There may be some impacts on display plugins as a result. As always, Atlas recommends that all customers read the release notes in detail.
Some improvements in 3.1.0:
- Users will notice higher contrast lines around all fields; this is the most obvious change that comes with the accessibility improvements.
- Users can now see Related Accessions on published accession pages in the PUI, where previously they would only see related Resources.
- Users can now link Classifications to Digital Objects.
- Deaccession subrecords for Resources will now display on the PUI by default. If users wish to disable this feature, that is possible in the config. Please write to us at support@atlas-sys.com.
- Buggy behavior in the Staff-side user preferences for setting Language settings has been improved.
- Users can now sort the Users list by username.
- Fields for language and script of description have been added to accession records, but are not required.
- There is a new status for user accounts that allows a user record to be set as Active or Inactive by the admin or another account with sys admin privileges. This status is set via a checkbox in the user record or via a button in the users list (these two options do the same thing).
- Setting a user to Inactive immediately revokes all their permissions, though the user record does stay a member of whatever User Groups they were in.
- If the User is ever deemed to be Active again, all prior permissions are back in place as soon as the status is changed back to Active.
- Users are Active by default
3.1.1 Updates
3.1.1 was released on November 19, 2021. The main focus of development for v3.1.1 were bug fixes and regressions discovered by the community (including you, our customers!). This means there there is no new functionality in 3.1.1 versus its predecessor (3.1.0), only bug fixes. The most disruptive bugs were those associated with reorder mode in the staff interface.
FAQs for v3.1.x
Are there new requirements?
There are no new requirements in 3.1.0 or 3.1.1.
Do I have to do anything upon updating?
There are no required actions upon updating, but do consider the following:
- Re-visit your list of staff accounts to consider using the new Active/Inactive features
- Always test the LCNAF Importer after every update if your institution relies on that plugin.
- See Impacts on Plugins section below and test all plugins after each release.
What else is there to know?
- There was a bug related to the spreadsheet importer that switched XLink attributes for DOs in the spreadsheet importer; that bug has been resolved in 3.1.0.
- There were bugs in reorder mode in versions of 3.0.x up until 3.1.1, which solved the issues.
What are the differences between 3.1.0 and 3.1.1?
Users of 3.1.0 uncovered a number of bugs related to re-organizing and collapsing the tree view in Resources on the staff side and those bug fixes were the only changes in 3.1.1.
Impacts on Plugins for v3.1.x
For any version past 3.1.0
From the 3.1.0 release notes:
Due to some needed accessibility improvements for the public interface, some relatively minor styling changes have been made to views in some places. This may impact plugins used for styling these areas. Check plugins used to theme the public interface to determine if you need to make any changes locally to preserve your desired styling.
Configurations for v3.1.x
Below are links to the default configuration files for the following versions. By clicking on one of these links you can modify the address in your address bar to navigate to the version of ArchivesSpace you are most interested in:
Please note that these links lead to the default view of that file; your actual config files lives on your ASpace server here at Atlas. If you wish to view the actual config file being used on your server you may request a copy by writing an email to support@atlas-sys.com.
Setting new configurations is not required as part of the update, but here is a summary of the new configuration options in v3.1.x. Atlas can adjust these settings at any time, whether while updating to v3.1.x or afterward:
| Configuration Setting | Explanation |
|---|---|
AppConfig[:pui_display_identifiers_in_resource_tree] = false | This allows users to have deaccession records display in Resource records in the PUI. It is set to false by default, meaning that these records will not display unless configured otherwise. |
Please let Atlas know if you would like to modify any of the above configurations as part of your update to 3.1.x. All values listed above are the defaults.
API Endpoint Deprecations
There were no deprecated API endpoints listed in the release notes for 3.1.0 or 3.1.1
For more information on ASpace releases, please review the official release notes. If you have any questions about preparing for the update or new features, please contact Atlas Support staff at 800-567-7401 x1 or email us at support@atlas-sys.com.