05 July 2019

Big changes to improve our Library service

Disruption to some services will be experienced when a new Library system is installed later this month.

Big changes are being made to improve our Library service

Edward Boyle Library wins an accolade at the 2019 Leeds Architecture Awards. March 2019

We are making big changes to improve our service for colleagues and students in the week beginning Monday 15 July.

There will be a move to a new Library management system, which underpins the majority of services, including:

  • purchasing new items and setting up subscriptions
  • cataloguing and managing Library stock
  • managing e-resources, their licences and the authentication to grant access
  • lending, requesting and returning books
  • creating library accounts
  • managing charges and fines; and
  • providing the means to search and discover print and online resources in our collections.

There are also a great number of dependent services, such as entry gates, laptop loans, self-issue and return machines, reading list management, online payments, room bookings and more, which all need to work with the system.

This is a big and complex change that presented an opportunity to review the way we work to see if we can improve or simplify what we do. As a result, we're planning to introduce new loans, a new Library search and no more need to renew books.

We are doing everything we can to keep all our services operating during this period, but with such a large change, there are some services that will be affected.

We've created a set of webpages to explore the new Library system that explain the change and how we hope you will benefit. We'll keep these pages updated with all the latest information, as there may be changes in dates and services as we get closer to the system going live.

Check the Library Twitter account for any announcements about the changes or any temporary disruptions that may occur during and after this process.

And you can also go behind the scenes with the Library blog to get an insight into the different aspects of the work involved with such a major change, from the people involved on the ground.

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