User preferences

The user preferences section lets you choose how you’ll be notified about different system activities. 

To access this area, click the user profile icon at the top right of the screen and select "Preferences". The options on this page allow you to make changes to some of the functionality and interface. 

Results display

Adjust how your content appears on the search results page:

Retina mode

If enabled, the system will use the "next size up" when rending previews and thumbs, for a more crisp display on high resolution screens. Retina mode is on by default but can be switched off to reduce bandwidth if needed.

Default sort

Set which value normally determines the order of your search results. You can choose from relevance, popularity, colour, type, or date

Default sort direction

Sort your search results in ascending or descending order

Default per page

Choose the number of results - between 24 and 240 - that will be shown on one page

Default display

Select how you’d like the results to appear: as large or extra large thumbnails, in list view, or in strip view

Resource view modal

When you click to view a resource, you’ve got the option to have it either display in a preview modal within the page, or to display it across the full page

 

User interface

General options to adjust the appearance of the system when you log in:

Default collection bar display

Show or hide resource thumbnails in the collection bar by default

Basic simple search

With this option enabled, the simple search will just be a search field - no Resource Types or additional filtering. 

Hide resource types on simple and advanced search

Enabling this will hide the ability to filter by resource type at the top of the simple and advanced search areas. Useful, for example, if you have a lot of resource types and tend to rely on other filters when searching.

Upload sequence

This option allows you to choose whether to upload your content before applying metadata, or to set the metadata before uploading. Using ‘Upload first’, you’ll be able to preview the resources one at a time. It also gives you flexible metadata options: allowing you to input different values for different resources and use the locking functionality to apply the same ones for all of them. The ‘Set metadata first’ option is useful if you’re looking to apply exactly the same metadata to all of the resources you’re going to upload.

Show standard pages in a modal (popup) window where enabled?

This feature changes the appearance of the Requests page, which is accessed via the Admin menu. If enabled, clicking to edit a request will show it in a popup window.

Keyboard navigation

With this option enabled, you can use the keyboard to navigate in ResourceSpace.

Use a tile layout for the navigation menus

If disabled, menus such as the Admin menu will show as a list with a small icon, rather than as tiled icons.

Use decimal for file sizes

File sizes can be shown in decimal or binary format.

User local time zone

Set your local time zone.

Higher contrast mode (10.3+)

System colours will be changed to greatly increase the contrast, taking precedence over colour configurations set elsewhere. Outlines of elements will be clearer. Link text will be underlined when hovering. Checkboxes will be larger. 

 

Emails

Emails can be used in ResourceSpace to notify users of activity such as resources submitted for review, user account requests or user resource requests

By default, most email notifications have been superseded by system messages. In this area, you can opt to receive emails alongside or instead of these notifications. Provided your ResourceSpace account includes a valid email address, you can set the type and frequency of emails you’d like to receive:

CC me when sending resources and collections

Each time you use the ‘Email resource’ or ‘Email collection’ options from the share page, 

you’ll receive a copy of the email that was sent to the users you’re sharing with.

Send me emails instead of system notifications where possible

Set whether you’d prefer emails or in-system notifications. You may want to enable this if you work on ResourceSpace intermittently but need to receive emails about relevant activity.

Send me emails in addition to system notifications

With this option enabled, when you receive an in-system notification, you’ll get an email too whenever possible.

Send me a daily email with all unread notifications from the last 24 hours

Enable this option if you’d like to be notified of all activity just once a day, rather than at the time of each event. Useful if you want to receive fewer emails but still need to be aware of activity.

 

Send me a daily email with all unread notifications if not logged on for more than 7 days?

Enable for an overview of day-to-day activity. Useful, for example, if you’re a super admin who might not log in every day.

Mark messages as read once I have been sent the summary email

Disable this option if you’d prefer to see the in-system notifications even after you’ve reviewed one of the summary email options above. We recommend this setting for new users/systems, as a way of testing and reviewing the different notification options before making any changes to limit them.

 

Messages

Messages are used by ResourceSpace to help make sure that important notifications are prominently displayed and won’t be overlooked. As with Actions, whenever new messages are received, they’ll show in the counter next to your user profile.

The total count on the main page shows a combined number of unprocessed actions and messages: after clicking here to bring up the user menu, you’ll then see the breakdown of each.  

You can manage all messages sent to your user account via the messages page. After selecting at least one message from the list, you’ll have the option to either mark them as read or unread, or delete them. 

 

Messages options:

Show me system notifications on screen as they are received. If disabled, the counter will still update to indicate the presence of new messages

If you receive a lot of notifications and would prefer to keep an eye on new messages without having to navigate to the messages screen each time, this option will show them as a pop-up in real time at the top right of the screen

Send me resource messages about resource management such as resource state or metadata changes

Enabling this will let you know, for example, if resources that you’ve downloaded have been replaced. For admins, if $send_collection_to_admin is also enabled on the system, this option will also enable notifications of user uploads

Send me messages about important system events e.g. low disk space

Admins will receive information about important server events with this option enabled

Send me user administration messages e.g. new user account requests

Notifies admins whenever a new user account is requested

Send me messages about resource access e.g. resource requests

With this option enabled, admins will receive messages whenever a user requests access to a restricted resource. Set to disabled if, for example, this task sits with a different user and you don’t need to be notified each time

 

Actions

From version 10, Actions are enabled for all users by default, unless explicitly disabled by a system administrator.

Alongside messages, actions allow users to be alerted to resources or activities that need attention. The actions visible to a user will vary depending on system configuration and user permissions.

The following core system activity can be monitored using actions:

Certain plugins can also be managed using actions. With the Propose changes plugin enabled, for example, users will be notified of any proposed metadata changes.

 

Actions notification options:

Show resource requests in my actions list

If enabled, resource requests will show as actions. Combined with the ‘daily digest’ email option they’ll also appear in emails. 

Disable to receive resource requests as instant emails

Show user account requests in my actions list

If enabled, new account requests will show as actions. New account requests can also be set to be pre-populated, so that they just need to be approved by an admin rather than created each time

Do not show account requests for the following groups

User account requests in certain user groups can be hidden

Editable resources in the following states will be shown

Any editable resources in the selected states will appear as actions - usually used for resources in Pending Review that are awaiting approval

Do not show editable resources of the following types

Prevent the selected resource types from appearing as actions

Show action links e.g. user requests, resource requests in a modal (popup) window?

Enable this option to perform simple approval actions without navigating to the messages area each time

 

Metadata

Depending on your settings, there’s also the option here to enable or disable writing embedded metadata on download.