The New Library Catalog will Go Live May 31st

Here's an update on the New "Evergreen" Catalog:

The Pollard Library along with the other libraries of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium, will be launching a new catalog over Memorial Day weekend. The current catalog will shut down at the end of the day on Friday, May 27, 2011. Patrons will be able to check materials in and out at the library from 9am-5pm on Saturday, May 28th but they will not be able to search the catalog or place holds on materials or book museum passes over the course of the Memorial Day weekend. Access to some online databases may also be disrupted. The new system is scheduled to go live on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Access to the statewide Virtual Catalog was shut down May 17th.

Any holds previously placed on materials should carry over to the new system. Users will find that their personally-created lists in the bookbags will be available in the “My Accounts” area of the new catalog. Library users will enjoy some new features with the Evergreen system, such as the ability to share their bookbags with others, more flexibility in creating user passwords, and the ability to update their street and e-mail addresses. Patrons will also have more flexibility and control over their catalog searches with the new system, including setting account preferences to search the Pollard Library only or MVLC as a whole. If you want to try it out here is a link to the demo version of the new catalog -- (FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY).

Coming attractions over the next few months include an improved catalog design, a feature allowing users to track their reading history, and a version of the catalog usable on mobile devices.

The Merrimack Valley Library Consortium will be the first large library system in Massachusetts to use Evergreen. The move to Evergreen is part of a larger project that will see MVLC, along with two other Massachusetts’ library consortia, NOBLE and C/W MARS, using Evergreen by early 2012. These three library networks encompass approximately half of the public libraries in the Commonwealth along with a number of academic libraries. The project includes locally-sponsored development funded with a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and by participating libraries.

We appreciate your patience while we all get used to the new system and work to utilize the great new features. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to ask a librarian or email mloref@mvlc.org.