We’ve just rolled out the latest major upgrade to eHive. You can now attach PDF files to object records and each image & document has options for public access.

The new “Edit PDF files” menu option, available in all places where you can edit a record, allows you to upload individual PDF files, overwrite the default link name for the document, and overwrite the access level for a specific file.

The existing “Edit Images” screen now has options to change the access level for a specific image. For example, the default access level for your account is “Same as record”. This allows public users to see the images of records published on eHive.com. However, you could override this for a specific image, for example an image showing damage to an object. This conservation image could be marked as “Account users only” to indicate that this image is always private, regardless of whether the record has been published.

You can read more about the document upload features in our online help.

The upgrade also includes several minor fixes and features, including:

• fixed display problem with my.ehive.com (logged in) website footer on mobile screens
• added clearer error messages for image formats that are not supported
• adding breakdowns of storage usage on the Account Usage page

The latest upgrade to eHive includes a new Edit Images screen.

We have separated out the object image management into its own page. This has simplified the processing of the object edit/create screen as this screen now only covers the editing of the object record. We have also resolved the problem where only one new image could be added to an object record at a time. The new upload screen also supports drag and drop and will allow you to add up to 20 images in a single step.

If you wish to add images to a new object you must now first save the object record. For any existing record you can now access the Edit Images link from the detail page and from different summary views in the system through the new ” ⋮ ” icon. For more details, read the help topic about adding images to an object record.

We’re excited to be launching the revamped, rebranded eHive website. The main changes are to support mobile access from smaller screens, such as phones and tablets, and to comply with accessibility standards. This redesign tackles just the essential changes required for us to support mobile and accessible access, but we’ll be continuing to fine-tune things over the next few months.

Technology upgrade

This is the completion of our project to replace the technology used in eHive web pages. eHive was first launched in 2008 and we’ve used largely the same set of technology on our web pages since then. This was making it difficult for us to maintain the site and add new features. It’s been a huge task to redevelop the site, but this now allows us to make further enhancements more easily and more frequently.

Mobile support

Access to eHive from mobile devices has grown rapidly over recent years. Currently 20% of all page views are from mobile phones and a further 12% from tablets such as iPads. This has made mobile support an essential task as part of the redesign.

Each eHive page now has a responsive design with the layout changing to fit the screen size of the user’s device. This has led to a stronger emphasis on images within the mobile pages. We’ve also gained speed improvements across the whole site as we now deliver image sizes tailored to the device and load some content in the background after the main details on a page are displayed.

These changes also allow account holders to make use of the logged in features within eHive on other devices, particularly tablets which have a smaller screen size than our older fixed width web design.

Rebranding

We’ve given eHive a more modern design, updating the logo and colour scheme. The new logo is more compact, allowing us to have a slimline main menu and leave more space for the content.

Accessibility compliance

The new colour scheme has higher contrast to meet AAA accessibility standards. We’ve also made many smaller changes to allow the site to work with screen readers for users with accessibility requirements.

Help pages

Earlier this year we launched a new online help and information website info.ehive.com, updating eHive’s help and news pages to better support access from mobile phones and tablets. This latest eHive upgrade complements the Info website and will improve navigation between the two sites.

Minor changes

There are many small changes we’ve made along the way. These include:

• new featured communities, categories and collections to help visitors explore the public content
• drag and drop option to upload images for a collection or community
• icons for sharing pages on popular social networks
• clearer wording for some menu items and page section titles

Next steps

We’ll continue to improve on the next design as we get feedback. Let us know if you spot any problems or have suggestions.

eHive’s Online Help and Information pages have a new home!

info.ehive.com

This is the first phase of our project to update the entire eHive.com website.

Our development team is currently hard at work, rewriting eHive in newer technology. The end result will be an enhanced website built using a responsive design. This will make eHive (and your content) easier to read and navigate on mobile phones and tablets.

It’s also now easier for us to publish news articles, so you’ll be able to read about our progress within the mobile-friendly news section.

If you’ve bookmarked any Help or Information pages please update these with the corresponding pages on our new site.

We’ve added a Social Media section to eHive Public Profiles so you can encourage eHive visitors to discover more about your institution or collection.

To include links to your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts:

1. Sign in to your eHive account
2. Click on the Edit link underneath your eHive Account Name. This will take you to your Public Profile edit page.
3. Click on the Edit link in the Account Profile Details section.
4. Add the URIs for your Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter homepages.
5. Click Save.

Your social media accounts will display as clickable icons on your Public Profile.