Digital scholarship blog

Enabling innovative research with British Library digital collections

24 January 2025

Universal Viewer v4.1.0 is here!

We’re excited to announce the release of Universal Viewer (UV) version 4.1.0, packed with new updates and features. 

Universal Viewer image controls
New image manipulation controls in UV 4.1.0

 

This version builds on the momentum from our community accessibility sprint, where the wider UV community came together to address key usability challenges. Highlights of the new release include: 

Accessibility Improvements:

  • Easier navigation for keyboard-only users.
  • Better support for assistive technologies such as screen readers.
  • Improved contrast and visibility of page elements.

New Features:

  • Image Controls: Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation directly within the viewer.
  • Index Panel Configuration: A new setting allows the index panel to open by default when viewing collections. 

Bug Fixes & Security Updates:

  • Several bugs resolved to enhance stability and performance.
  • Dependency updates to ensure the Universal Viewer remains secure and up to date.

For the full details of what’s new, check out the release notes on GitHub.

Interested in joining the Universal Viewer community? To get involved join us on Slack, or follow UV on Bluesky or Mastodon to stay connected.

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