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Grove Advance brings selected new Aspen Discovery and Aspen LiDA functionality to your library sooner, combining responsive development with the dependable service and collaboration libraries can count on from Grove.
What is Grove Advance?
Grove Advance gives our hosting partners access to selected new Aspen Discovery and Aspen LiDA functionality ahead of community releases.
At Grove, we are committed to spearheading development for Aspen Discovery and LiDA and understand that quick response to patron and library requests is paramount. Grove Advance gives an opportunity to sponsoring libraries to see the benefits of their investment sooner, and all Grove hosting partners benefit from the development.
Introduced in 26.10, Grove Advance features are production-ready and carry the same expectation for quality and reliability as our other contributions. Close collaboration with libraries using Grove Advance features gives us the unique opportunity to help guide further improvements, strengthening the functionality we contribute to the wider Aspen community.
How can I track and identify Grove Advance features?
Look for features labeled Grove Advance in the release notes to see what’s available through Grove and explore what it could make possible for your library.
To follow a feature’s progress toward community inclusion, check its associated Jira ticket. Each ticket will reflect the community version and status.
For Grove Hosting Partners
I am hosted by Grove, when will I get Grove Advance?
As a Grove partner, you receive Grove Advance features through the Grove releases every month on your production servers.
If you are collaborating with us on development, we will coordinate updates to your test servers at a frequency that best supports the project and your needs.
I am hosted by Grove, but I didn’t sponsor the development. Will I still receive Grove Advance features?
Yes! Grove Advance functionality is available to all Grove hosting partners. You benefit whether your library sponsored the development or another library did. It’s one more way your partnership with Grove brings ongoing value to your staff and patrons.
For Libraries Not Hosted by Grove
I am not hosted by Grove, but I sponsored Aspen development.
When can I use it?
We will work with you to explore options for the functionality you sponsor. Timing depends on your hosting setup and your hosting provider’s or internal team’s release and deployment requirements.
Contact us to discuss your feature so we can help you identify the earliest practical opportunity for your library to benefit from the development you supported.
I am not hosted by Grove, when will Grove Advance features be available to my library?
I am not hosted by Grove, when will Grove Advance features be available to my library?
We are committed to contributing Grove Advance functionality to the wider Aspen community. We expect these features to appear in a community release one or two community releases after they become available to Grove partners.
Availability at your library will depend on your hosting provider’s or internal team’s update schedule.
I am not hosted by Grove, can I sponsor a Grove Advance feature?
Absolutely! Grove works with libraries who understand the dynamic pace of software development and want to respond quickly to their patron needs.
We work with libraries across the Aspen community, including those hosted by other support companies, to develop functionality to better serve their staff and patrons.
We will discuss your goals, help define the work, and explore options that fit your hosting setup.
I would like to make sure I always receive Grove Advance. How can I be hosted by Grove?
I would like to make sure I always receive Grove Advance. How can I be hosted by Grove?
Book a time to talk with us about your library’s needs and goals.
We will explore how Grove hosting, support, and development can help you build the experience you envision for your staff and patrons. Learn more about our services here.
How does Grove Advance benefit the wider Aspen community?
How does Grove Advance benefit the wider Aspen community?
We believe library software should be shaped by libraries, and we are committed to being responsive to library needs. Grove Advance empowers libraries by providing an earlier delivery path to features you want to see.
All Grove Advance features offer the same Grove quality and reliability we are known for, and thanks to the close collaboration with our partners in both test and production environments, we can further refine the functionality before contributing it to the shared community codebase. All Grove development includes testing and documentation.
Grove Advance aligns with our commitment to a thriving, sustainable Aspen community. Grove team members contribute development, documentation, and quality assurance: from August 2024 through September 2026, Grove staff have documented close to 95% of community development and conducted quality assurance on nearly 60%. We are active members of the community, serve on the Aspen Library Software Foundation’s Technical Committee, participate in community groups, and support the AspenCon conference through planning and sponsorship.
By supporting both the software and the community behind it, we continue to nurture the roots of the Aspen ecosystem. Read more about our philosophy here.