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Library staff outline ILS migration and a major change to holds policy
Summary
Library staff told the board the system switch to SIRSI DynaX will require changes patrons should expect: holds can no longer be suspended indefinitely and currently unscheduled suspended holds will be assigned a 2031 resumption date; staff confirmed training ahead of an April 16 go‑live.
Library staff briefed the Portage County Library Board of Trustees on an upcoming migration to a new integrated library system that will change how patrons manage holds and require staff training in the coming months.
Eddie (S5), who presented the circulation report, said the board will move to SIRSI DynaX, with Symphony handling back‑end operations and BlueCloud providing front‑desk tools. "Holds can no longer be suspended indefinitely," Eddie said. "They will have to set a date." He added that existing suspended holds with no end date will be reset to 2031 to give patrons time to resolve lists.
Director (S2) and circulation staff outlined training plans: local staff will travel for hands‑on sessions and the board was told the current go‑live date is April 16. Eddie described a training schedule to ensure staff in the consortium’s northern libraries receive adequate hands‑on time before the system switches.
Staff said the migration raises catalog‑transfer questions — for example, how rotating collections move from one catalog to another — and described a conservative approach: reduce the number of rotation items now, create a locked backup list of rotation items, and resume broader circulation once the transfer is verified. "We're going to create a backup list of what is on rotation, and we're going to kinda lock it in place," Chair (S1) said, summarizing the precautions.
Board members asked about user‑facing impacts. Eddie confirmed additional changes: PINs and other protected fields will be reset during migration and staff will notify patrons in advance. Staff also noted that the Libby and LinkCat experiences differ and that holds behavior across platforms may vary.
The board asked staff to proceed with training and to provide patron outreach plans ahead of the go‑live date.
The board will revisit migration updates at future meetings as training completes and the April go‑live approaches.
