Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library Systems topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Troy City Council approves 3-year upgrade to Vega Discover catalog and Polaris SMS for Troy Public Library
Summary
The council unanimously approved a three-year, sole-source contract to upgrade the Troy Public Library catalog to Vega Discover and to implement Polaris SMS messaging. The upgrade is intended to improve patron search experience and to replace current text notification methods ahead of carrier changes in 2026.
The Troy City Council on Oct. 6 approved a three-year contract to upgrade the Troy Public Library’s public catalog to Vega Discover and to add Polaris SMS messaging, a move library officials said will simplify searches and modernize patron notifications.
Library Director Emily Dumas told the council the library currently uses the Polaris integrated library system and its PowerPAC catalog. She said Vega Discover (the newer catalog offered by the system vendor) “provides an enhanced patron experience with a simple and intuitive interface and its advanced searching capabilities,” combining multiple formats of a title into a single record and offering personalized suggestions and family account linking. “That catalog has the potential to greatly improve the patrons' catalog experience,” Dumas said.
Dumas presented costs to the council: a year‑one subscription cost of $39,116 and a one‑time implementation fee of $15,000, under a three‑year agreement. She also said the library seeks the Polaris SMS product because carriers are changing how they treat text messages generated from email-to-text services in 2026 and the current method will no longer be reliable.
Mayor Pro Tem Dunn said the upgrade made sense because Troy already uses Polaris and converting to a different system would be costly. Councilmember Rebecca Chamberlain asked how Vega compares with other catalog systems; Dumas said most members of the Suburban Library Cooperative moved to Vega in 2023 and that Troy is catching up to the consortium. “It’s kind of night and day difference,” Dumas said of the upgraded catalog, referencing other local libraries’ experiences.
Councilmember Hodrick moved the bid‑waiver resolution to enter a three‑year contract with the library’s current integrated‑system vendor to implement Vega Discover and Polaris SMS; Councilmember Chanda supported the motion. The council voted unanimously to approve the contract.
The agreement is a sole‑source upgrade from the library’s existing vendor and was presented to council as a bid waiver request. Dumas said implementation will include catalog configuration and SMS setup; the agenda packet specified a three‑year term but did not list an exact implementation timeline beyond the one‑time setup fee and the year‑one subscription cost.
The council’s approval clears the way for the library to migrate to Vega Discover and to begin implementing SMS messaging to patrons, replacing the library’s current email‑to‑text notifications ahead of carrier changes in 2026.
