Higher Logic recommends that customers who are using the original ("legacy") Library module upgrade to the "redesigned" Library.
Why should I upgrade?
The "redesigned" Library has a fresher and more modern look, and it offers a user experience with more functionality.
If you haven't upgraded yet, we encourage you to preview the new Library experience.
How do I upgrade?
You can easily upgrade to the new Library experience at your convenience.
NOTE: Your existing Libraries will not be automatically upgraded.
This article describes the two ways you can upgrade to the new Library experience.
- Use our Feature upgrade tool to automatically do the work for you. This is a great option if you want to quickly upgrade your libraries on a more global scale (though there is some nuance here, if needed).
- Manually upgrade each standalone library via Page Designer. This method is perfect for those who want a more granular approach (i.e., upgrade only a few libraries at a time).
NOTE: The manual method does not allow you upgrade individual community libraries, as all communities on a site share a single CMS page (i.e., upgrading one upgrades them all). Rather, it is a way for you to upgrade individual standalone libraries, or those not associated to a community.
Method 1 - Feature upgrade tool
- In the Admin Toolbar, click Admin.
- Navigate to Settings > Optional Features > Upgrades.
You can use this tool to upgrade your libraries in one of three ways:
- Upgrade ALL libraries across your entire site (including microsites, if you have them)
- Upgrade only community libraries
- Target only libraries associated to a microsite
Each option is described in its associated section below.
Option 1 - Upgrade ALL libraries
- Click Upgrade All Libraries to do just that: upgrade ALL of the libraries across your entire site; this means each of your community libraries, standalone libraries, and any libraries associated to a microsite (only applicable if your organization licenses our optional Microsites module). This excludes archived microsites.
Once complete, the page will update with some additional options and information.
- Refer to Reverting changes & viewing the change log, below, to learn more.
Option 2 - Upgrade community libraries only
NOTE: This method also upgrades your site's default Library Entries page, typically located in the Browse menu, as shown below. However, depending on your site's customizations and model, this page may not be available.
- Click Advanced Options.
- From the first dropdown, select Only community libraries and Browse All.
- (Optional) If your organization has microsites, you can choose whether to upgrade all of their community libraries as well OR target only specific microsites by selecting one or more from the second dropdown.
- Click Upgrade to initiate the process.
Once complete, the page will update with some additional options and information.
- Refer to Reverting changes & viewing the change log, below, to learn more.
Option 3 - Target specific microsites
NOTE: This section is only applicable to organizations licensing our optional Microsites module.
This option is for customers who want to:
- Upgrade ALL of the libraries for a specific microsite (or across multiple microsites)
- OR Upgrade only community libraries for a specific microsite (or across multiple microsites)
- Click Advanced Options.
- From the first dropdown, select whether to upgrade ALL libraries or only community libraries.
- From the second dropdown:
- Select All microsites to make the upgrade you selected above for ALL of your microsites. OR,
- Click the menu and select only the microsites that you want to upgrade.
- Click Upgrade to initiate the process.
Once complete, the page will update with some additional options and information.
- Refer to Reverting changes & viewing the change log, below, to learn more.
Reverting changes & viewing the change log
Regardless of the upgrade method you used, the page will refresh and provide two additional options:
- Click View Upgrade Log to view a timestamped history of all upgrades/reversions that have been performed, including the admin who performed them. This log will continue to update over time with any additional upgrades you make.
- If at any point you want to undo upgrades made on this page, click Revert upgrade. If you choose to revert the upgrade, any instances of the new widget will be reverted to the legacy library view.
NOTE: The log and revert options remain available to you even if you navigate away from this page or log out and back in.
Notes about the Feature upgrade tool
When you upgrade to the new Library, you're simply switching to the new Library Entries widget. Because you have likely configured your current library widgets to meet your needs, the Feature upgrade tool will respect many of these settings during the switch to the new widget to ensure the upgrade is as easy and smooth as possible.
Let's take a look at the settings that carry over.
| Option | Setting in legacy widget | Setting in new widget |
|---|---|---|
| Folder View | Default View = Folder View | Show Folder View? = Yes |
| Hide Author Name |
Show By Line? = No |
Show Authored By Line? = No |
| Hide Download Button | Show Download All Button in List View? = No |
Show Download Button? = No NOTE: The download button will be hidden in the new Library's Preview Panel. Users can still access the download button via the ellipsis (...) menu. |
| Hide Download Button if Video is Streaming? | Hide Download Button if Video is Streaming? = Yes | Hide Download If Video Is Playable in Browser? = Yes |
| Sort By Filter Default | Sort By Filter Default (selected option) | Default Sort Option (option from classic widget will carry over) |
Method 2 - Manual upgrade
Upgrading a standalone Library is as simple as editing the page and swapping from the "old" widget to the new widget. Let's dive in!
NOTE: As mentioned earlier, this method does not allow you upgrade individual community libraries, as all communities on a site share a singular CMS page (i.e., upgrading one upgrades them all). Rather, it is a way for you to upgrade individual standalone libraries, or those not associated to a community.
- Navigate to the standalone Library you want to upgrade.
- In the Admin Toolbar, click (or right click for a new tab) Edit Page.
- You're now editing the page in Page Designer. On the Canvas (left side), locate and select your current widget (Library Entry List).
- In the Properties panel, check the box to Hide the widget.
TIP: Hiding, instead of deleting, will make it even faster to quickly revert back to the legacy Library design. However, there's no harm in deleting the widget if this isn't a concern for you, as you can always add it back. To delete the widget, click the trashcan icon, followed by Delete in the confirmation popup.
- Click the Build tab to access our widgets. From the widget Category menu, select Library, and in the search field, type "library entries" to quickly filter to the widget.
- Drag and drop the Library Entries widget onto the Canvas in the desired location (likely above or below the other one).
- Click to select the new widget and, on the Properties tab, set its properties, such as display name (or hide the name altogether), view permissions, etc.
- You're likely going to want to configure a few of the new widget's options, so click the paper and pencil icon (Edit).
- Make any configuration changes and save them.
TIP: See the Widget configuration section of this article to learn about the configuration options and how to set them for the best possible community experience.
- At the bottom right, click Publish to save your changes and upgrade to the new Library experience!