Interested in joining the Polaris ILS Advisory Committee? PIAC is currently seeking new members! Complete this form to apply by May 3, 2024.
New Leap Cataloging Features in Polaris 7.6 and 7.7
At IUG, iii gave updates on several new features coming in Polaris 7.6 and 7.7, including new functionality to make cataloging in Leap easier. An advanced cataloging editor, new keyboard shortcuts, and a side-by-side MARC view are all planned for release by the end of the year.
To see more, check out the slides from the Polaris Roadmap session (Supportal login required) or the Polaris product board.
Express Check
Also at IUG, iii announced plans to begin modernizing Polaris’ ExpressCheck functionality later this year. ExpressCheck is a separately licensed product that has not received much attention in recent years. For that reason, many Polaris customers have this product licensed, but are not currently using it. Customers looking to check if they currently have a license for ExpressCheck should contact their Account Managers.
Both the existing version of ExpressCheck and the prospective new version provide basic self-check functionality (check out, my account, paying fines, etc.) from a program that connects directly to the Polaris database (No SIP/API connections). The new version will provide the same level of integration with a newer, modern interface and updated code structure.
Existing users of ExpressCheck (or prospective users interested in the product): Please share your insights with Innovative! Innovative needs the integrations/features that are most important in your existing self-check systems, including RFID vendors or media dispensers that are currently in use. Any libraries that currently have another vendor’s product integrated into ExpressCheck are encouraged to comment on the Product Board post.
Known Issues/Software Patches
The Polaris Known Issues Log has been updated (Supportal login required).
With some key features receiving patches recently, PIAC asked for clarification about when an issue is patched vs. fixed in a future release. While there is no firm criteria for issues that are patchable or non-patchable, Innovative clarified that whenever a bug is fixed in a current version, developers will evaluate if the code change can be applied to previous versions of the product with minimal disruption. When a change is simple (ie: a SQL/Stored Procedure change), it will be made available for previous versions. Customers upgrading to a new version should always have the latest version of the software, with all available patches at the time of upgrade.
For bugs that are discovered after an upgrade has been performed, Support staff can patch products for the customers that have been linked to an issue through the ticketing system. At this time, Support staff are not able to proactively perform all patches for all customers, so it’s important for customers to report all potential bugs through the ticketing system.
Innovative will investigate potential self-service options for customers who wish to retrieve and install their own patches.