Big things are happening!
This spring, our library consortium is migrating to a new integrated library system. The new system includes modern updates that will make our work easier and will improve your experience with a more functional, easier-to-use library catalog.
We’re excited about this change, but we also know that major software upgrades can be disruptive. Thank you in advance for your patience!
Here’s what you need to know:
What is an integrated library system?
An integrated library system is the software we use to catalog materials, check items in and out, place holds, and manage patron and item records. In short, it’s what allows the library to run. Our new system is called Polaris and the new library catalog is Vega.
When is this happening?
We have been preparing and training behind the scenes for several months now, but May is when most of the visible work takes place. From now through our go-live date on June 3, many features of our current system will be unavailable at various times as our data is extracted from the current system and loaded into Polaris.
What should I expect?
Holds:
- Starting May 12, all holds will be available for local pickup only. We will not be able to ship items between libraries to fill holds. You are welcome to visit other libraries to pick things up there, or wait until early June when interlibrary delivery resumes.
- From May 26-June 2 we will be unable to place new holds or modify existing ones.
Your Library Card:
- You can continue to check out and return items throughout the transition, but you must have your library card with you. As of May 26 we will not be able to look up your account. Be sure to have your card, a photo of your card, or a screenshot of your barcode.
- You will not be able to pick up items for a family member unless you have their card with you.
- We have extended the expiration dates of all library cards so that none will expire during this transition period.
- Access to Libby and other online services that use your library card number should be unaffected.
- From May 26-June 2, we will not be able to create any new cards or add any out-of-town cards to our system. If you need to get a new card, please get one now or wait until June.
Library Materials:
- From May 18 – June 3, we will be unable to add new items to the library collection. There will be a delay in getting any new materials received during this time onto the shelves. Once we are able to start adding items again, we will prioritize high-demand items so that you can get the new books by your favorite authors as quickly as possible.
- Items cannot be renewed; however, we have extended all due dates through early June so nothing should be coming due in the meantime.
Library Catalog:
- The current library catalog will remain available but will no longer be updated. Item status will be increasingly inaccurate as time goes on. If you are looking for a specific item, please contact us to confirm whether it is on the shelf.
Please note that the library will be closed on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 in preparation for the transition.
Thank you for your support! While there is always a bit of a learning curve with new software, we think you will find the new catalog and app to be a genuine improvement.
After go-live, staff will still be learning and fine-tuning workflows. We appreciate your continued patience as we work through any hiccups along the way.