For Immediate Release: Friday, May 15, 2015
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) customers are advised that disruptions in some services will be experienced over the next week while the Integrated Library System (ILS) is migrated to a hosted “cloud” environment. The Integrated Library System is the online system used to manage materials in the collection and customer accounts.
The migration will move MCPL’s ILS system onto new computers on a “cloud” platform that will comprehensively address the issues the system has experienced in recent months.
MCPL Director Parker Hamilton said, “I regret we were not able to provide prior notice of this move to our customers, but a series of hardware failures to our current system necessitated an immediate move. We have been working with the Department of Technology Services and SirsiDynix, our ILS vendor, to keep our current system running while contract negotiation was underway regarding the migration.”
For the benefit of library users, the following lists provide information on what services and systems will not be available – as well as those that are accessible -- during the migration period:
No overdue fines will be assessed for materials due during the migration.
The following services will not be available:
• Online Catalog
• My Account
• Telephone Renewal
• Placing Holds
• Paying fines and fees
• Marina Interlibrary Loan
• 3M Cloud Library
• Freegal
• Online database remote access for databases not listed below
The following services will be available:
• Visiting branch libraries
• Returning and borrowing materials to branches
• Getting a new library card
• Using computers in branches
• OneClick Digital audiobooks (existing accounts only)
• Overdrive e-books
• Zinio e-magazines (existing accounts only)
• In-library branch access to all databases
Remote access to the following databases will also be available:
• Auto Repair Reference Center
• Business Source Premier
• Business Insights: Global
• Encyclopedia of Associations
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• General OneFile
• Heritage Quest
• History Reference Center
• MasterFILE Premier
• National Newspapers Premier, including “The New York Times” and “The Washington Post”
• Science Reference Center
• Student Research Center
• Testing and Education Resource Center
• ValueLine
However, there may be times when even these services will be unavailable.
For updates about the migration, visit the MCPL website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library.
Release ID: 15-190