eResources in Aspen

Your Aspen catalog supports the integration of most eBook and streaming platforms, as well as integration with the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) to provide access to your articles and databases.

Downloadable eResources

SWAN offers the following methods to integrate your downloadable eBook and streaming collections into your catalog.

API 

eBook, audiobook, and some streaming media use an API to add content to the catalog. API connections allow for real-time circulation. The titles borrowed from the vendors using APIs will show up in My Account and can be downloaded or returned. 

SWAN offers API connections for the following vendors:

  • OverDrive
  • Hoopla
  • B&T Axis 360
  • Cloud Library

OverDrive

The following OverDrive consortia are integrated in Aspen using the API:

  • eMedia Library
  • Media on Demand
  • Digital Library of Illinois
  • Rolling Prairie Digital Consortium

Hoopla

Currently, Aspen can only support 1 Hoopla collection. There are 4 scopes that are used to place individual libraries into:

Scope name

Hide Hoopla records

Max cost per checkout

All records

No

$5.00

Hoopla excludes

Yes

$5.00

All records 3

No

$3.00

Hoopla excludes 3

Yes

$3.00

Hide Hoopla records is used if the library has electronic content available from other vendors such as OverDrive, Boundless, cloudLibrary, etc. The max cost per checkout is the same across the board for eAudio, eBooks, eComics, music, television, and movies. Any custom settings in Midwest Tape for Hoopla is not recognized in Aspen. Please send a ticket to help@swanlibraries.net with any questions.

Sideloading

Sideloading adds MARC records directly into Aspen, and these records do not appear in the ILS. The borrowed content will not show in My Account. Please note, sideloaded content uses the 856 URL in the MARC record to connect to the vendor website and those websites do not have a direct connection to the patron account in Aspen.

Sideloaded records must meet these criteria:

  • The collections must allow unlimited use.
  • The vendor must provide standard MARC records of good quality.
  • Authentication methods and the 856 URL must pass the patron directly to the specific record.

Regular sideloading will occur a maximum of once per month unless there has been a major change to your subscription such as a large collection change, interface change, or cancellation.

Vendors supported

  • Kanopy
  • Flipster
  • Creativebug
  • Tumblebooks
  • PressReader

SWAN loads the records to Aspen in a batch. If you have a vendor that has offered to provide MARC records for the catalog please send a help ticket to SWAN help@swanlibraries.net and SWAN will evaluate the records.

What are the benefits to having econtent in Aspen and the SWAN+ app?

Benefit

Reason

Searching

Patrons can search across multiple electronic content vendors at once.

Central access to holds

Patrons can keep track of all titles placed on hold, through varying econtent vendors, in Aspen and the mobile app.

Central access to checkouts

Once a title is checked out in Aspen and the mobile app, patrons can always get to that title, regardless of where it's checked out from.

Potential cost savings

Patrons do not become reliant on only one vendor. Cost is disbursed amongst different vendors and gives patrons more options.

EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) integration

Your Aspen catalog also comes with an integration with EDS, which provides access to your databases including those provided in the SWAN EBSCO group purchase.

You can access the EDS integration by selecting Articles & Databases in a search, and through the Explore More bar in catalog search results.

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