SCHENECTADY — Patrons of the Schenectady County Public Library system may see changes to the way inter-library loans are handled in the coming months — but officials say services are not being reduced.
The changes stem from a decision made last month by the county library’s board of trustees to exit the Joint Automation System — a longstanding agreement between the Mohawk Valley Library System (MVLS) and the Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) that provides IT services for dozens of member libraries that make up both systems.
Schenectady County is planning to move library IT operations in-house, a move that will allow for updated technology and improve service, according to Erin Laiacona, a county spokesperson.
“This move represents a huge step forward in our ability to improve service to our community and upgrade the technology tools, resources and support our staff use to provide that service,” she said.
Schenectady County Public Library is made up of nine branches and is the largest in the Mohawk Valley Library System that includes 13 other public libraries, including those in Canajoharie, Gloversville and Johnstown.
The county has provided the required 6-month notice to leave the Joint Automation System, and Laiacona said the county is hoping for a “smooth transition” as it finalizes the changes in the coming months.
Among those changes will be how inter-library loans operate.
The Joint Automation System provides libraries belonging to MVLS and SALS access to a database of digital and physical items that patrons have access to and a mechanism to request items not available at their local library.
So, if a patron in Schenectady wants to borrow an item that is only available at the Schoharie Public Library, they can request the item via the database and vice versa.
Eric Trahan, executive director of the MVLS, said no immediate changes are expected, but once Schenectady County withdraws from the Joint Automation System, the process of inter-library loans will look different.
“We expect that it will continue to be possible for patrons in SCPL and other MVLS libraries to borrow both digital and physical items from each other,” he said in an emailed statement. “However, without a shared database, the new process will be different than the one in place now.”
Trahan said MVLS will work with Schenectady County and other member libraries — including those belonging to SALS — to make the change “as seamless as possible and minimize the impact on library users.”
Laiacona, meanwhile, said Schenectady County will continue to provide library cards and borrowing privileges to library systems belonging to MVLS, and the county is exploring similar shared service agreements with other regional library systems that would expand services for patrons.
“Patrons will not see any reduction in service as a result of switching over, and in fact, we expect an expansion of access for our patrons,” she said. “Since much of the change will involve internal procedures and configuration, the biggest change we expect most folks to notice is a different catalog interface sometime late this year.”
Laiacona said additional information on the changes will be provided in the future as the county makes progress with its migration plans.