Polaris 7.8 Release Notes

Polaris 7.8 is in general release. Release notes include new and changed features, details on upgrading, and more.

Polaris 7.8 is currently in general release.

Highlights of Polaris 7.8

Below are only some of the exciting features included in Polaris 7.8. For the full list and all the details, please view the What's New in Polaris 7.8 found within our Documentation Portal. 

• 7 New Features from Enhancement Requests
• Polaris System Administration (Web-Based) Improvements
  • Staff Member Management
    • Staff Permissions
    • Permission Groups
  • Workstation Management
  • Server Administration
    • Setting up Z39.50 search servers
  • Administrative Tables
    • Accessing, Managing, Updating
• Leap: Importing Student Records 
• Leap: MARC Importing Profiles
  • Creating, editing, copying, and deleting import profiles
• Leap: Authorities

   

  • Search remote databases for Authority Records
  • Check for Duplicate Authorities without saving
  • Check for and fix unlinked headings
• Leap: Optional Printing Improvements
• Additional Hold Routing Sequences Table
• Export Reminder Notices (SMS)
• Rapido Consortial Borrowing
• New EDI Suppliers Supported
  • MDM Entertainment
  • Ulverscroft

 

 

Enhancement Requests Added to Polaris 7.8

Within Polaris 7.8 there were 7 added features and functionality that came right out of Idea Exchange enhancement requests. Polaris 7.8 is the second release to incorporate MEEP voting and 2 of the 7 enhancements were a result of MEEP voting. The features added as a result of enhancement requests and MEEP were: 

• Receipt Printing Improvements in Leap
• Add Renewals Count to Item Statistics
• Duplicate Check Action on Authorities
• Additional Acquisitions Links
• Additional Hold Routing Sequences Table
• Export Reminder Notices (SMS)
• Duplicate Check Action on POs

 TIP: Did you know on the Polaris Roadmap anything with a light bulb icon indicates it is a feature from an enhancement request.

 

New and Modified Polaris Administrative Settings

The following table lists the new and modified profiles, parameters, and permissions in Polaris Administration.

Setting	Purpose	Level
New Settings
API: Block check-in for status "Claim never had"	Specifies whether a check-in performed using the Polaris API is blocked when the item has a status of Claim Never Had.	System
API: Block check-in for status "Claim returned"	Specifies whether a check-in performed using the Polaris API is blocked when the item has a status of Claim Returned.	System
API: Block the check-in if the item has item blocks	Specifies whether a check-in performed using the Polaris API is blocked when the item record has a block.	System
Import report retention period	Specifies the number of days the system keeps MARC import reports before purging them. Enter a number of days between 1 and 9,999. The default value is 365 days.	System
Polaris ExpressCheck options: Enable > Display numeric only keypad	Displays a numeric keypad only (instead of a full keyboard) when patrons manually enter a barcode in Polaris ExpressCheck.	System, Library, Branch
Polaris ExpressCheck options: Enable > Display numeric keypad for patron password	Displays a numeric keypad only (instead of a full keyboard) on the password entry screen in Polaris ExpressCheck. To set this option, you must enable the Enable on-screen keypad option.	System, Library, Branch
Polaris ExpressCheck: Patron blocks > Blocking notes	Blocks Polaris ExpressCheck transactions by patrons who have a blocking note on their patron record.	System, Library, Branch
Rapido: Days spent in transit back to the lending institution	Specifies the shipping time in days when returning an item borrowed on the Rapido Consortial Borrowing platform to the owning institution. Polaris subtracts this value from the due date  provided by Rapido to determine the borrowing patron's due date.	System
Rapido: Institutional patron ID	Specifies the patron ID for the institutional patron record that is used for loaning items on the Rapido Consortial Borrowing platform.	System, Library, Branch
Web App: Suppress View: PAC Preview	Indicates whether the PAC preview is suppressed from display in the Leap Bibliographic Record workform.	System, Library, Branch
New Permissions
Leap Printers: Modify	Allows users with this permission to set Direct to Printer options in Leap. This bypasses the browser printing options.	Circulation Subsystem

 

Polaris API changes

The following methods have been Updated: 

• JobsPurchaseOrdersPost
  
  • In previous versions, this method used the purchase order line item price found in the 020/024 tag subfield $c of the bibliographic record when creating  purchase orders. As of version 7.8, the method now uses the price found in the 970 tag subfield $p instead. If no 970 tag subfield $p is present, the method uses the price from the 020/024 tag subfield $c.

 

For more information please review the Polaris API Reference Guide 7.8 located in our Documentation Portal.

 

Preparing to update your system

System Requirements

• Detailed requirement information can be found in the Polaris Operating System Requirements solution
• Windows Server 2016 or above is required.
  • Windows Server 2022 is now supported, however, please note Microsoft has removed support for local SMTP and an external SMTP server will now be required.
  • Windows 2025 Support is undergoing Beta.
• SQL Server 2016 or above is required.

•  

  Windows 10 or Windows 11 for the Staff Client installation, however, Polaris 7.8 requires the 64-bit version of the OS.

 NOTE: When the new Polaris release is installed on a workstation, the file path changes from 7.7 to 7.8 as in the following examples:

• C:\ProgramData\Polaris\7.8
• C:\Program Files\Polaris\7.8
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Polaris\7.8

 

Upgrading Your System

In order to schedule your upgrade to Polaris 7.8, please log a ticket with Support or utilize the Polaris Upgrade Request Form.