Talis Aspire now supports the addition of tags to individual list items. Tags allow libraries to create bespoke collections of resources across many lists, which can then be used either to filter an individual list, or can be reported on across your tenancy.
The host library can create and control which tags are available to users, so it is in the hands of system administrators as to how they wish to use them in their institutional workflows. Some suggestions for use as identified by librarians during our discovery calls are listed below, but it is likely that you will also have your own use cases in mind:
- Identify items by indigenous authors to support DEI initiatives
- Identify OA materials
- Identify materials from a specific subscription package to support renewal decisions
- Identify items which may be particularly sensitive, before the user views them
- Identify accessible resources
- Identify items suggested by students
- Texts written by institutional authors
Managing Tags
Tags are created and managed in the Settings area of Talis Aspire, which is typically only available to system administrators; individual users cannot create their own tags, which means the library can ensure a consistent vocabulary and experience across the whole system. The tagging screen will show you which tags are available in the new system, whether they are active / inactive (can be selected by users), and how many items are using each tag:
Adding Tags
To create a new tag, simply click on 'Add new'. Type the tag name into the box, then Save. Your tag is now available for use:
Editing Tags
Tags can also be made inactive at any time - ie users will no longer be able to select them for use. From the tagging screen you can click the edit button next to the tag, then untick the 'Active' box and Save. If you want to delete a tag, you can also use this screen to do that, but the option will not appear unless the tag is not associated with any existing bookmarks.
Using Tags
The ability to use tags in a list is controlled by a separate permission. This permission can be configured for any role by contacting our support desk.
Enabled tags will appear as an editing option for any user with appropriate permissions. The option to add tags appears in the action menu next to any list item:
This will add a new 'Tag name' box to the list item. Click in it and all active tags will appear and be searchable, so just select the ones you require. When you're finished, click the Save button.
You can do similar if bookmarking then adding to a list; at the point when an item is to be added, you can add tags in the same way:
Once saved, tags are displayed against the resource in question, both in list view and single item view. If you are viewing the full list, they will also appear as filter options, so giving users another way to drill down to content of interest:
Removing Tags
Users with editing permissions will see a small bin icon next to each tag; simply click on that to remove the tag from a list item:
Once you've finished tagging your list, do remember to publish it so that your changes are live to students!
Further Uses
We are now moving on to ensuring that tags will be visible in the Reviews interface, and that users will be able to report on tags across their whole tenancy via the All List Items report. These features will be available shortly, and we will update this article as they are released.
Overview
The following screencast gives you an overview of how tags work in practice:
And the below screencast provides a brief overview of tagging for academics or other non-library colleagues: