Members of the Berks County Public Libraries System and the Yocum Library at Reading Area Community College (RACC) will be upgrading the library catalog system in early February.
Part of the transition includes a three-day “freeze” of the catalog to migrate data into the new system. The catalog freeze is scheduled for Feb. 5-7 and will impact online borrowing requests along with accessing patron accounts. Library users may still check out books and other materials that are on hold or at the library. Patrons will be required to bring along their physical library card to complete all transactions.
How will this impact patrons?
In addition to the three-day catalog freeze, there are a handful of other important dates library patrons should be aware of:
- Saturday, Jan. 27, will be the last day to process Interlibrary Loan requests. Requests may be submitted after this date but will not be processed until after Feb. 8.
- Friday, Feb. 2, is the last day returned materials will be checked in until Feb. 8 or later. Patrons unable to return materials by the Feb. 2 deadline are encouraged to hold onto their items until Feb. 12. No materials will be due between Feb. 3 and Feb. 11.
- Thursday, Feb. 8, is when the new catalog system will be launched. Library users will have their account PIN automatically reset on this day to the last four digits of their primary phone number.
Which libraries will be impacted by the catalog upgrade?
- Bernville Area Community Library
- Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library
- Boone Area Library
- Boyertown Community Library
- Brandywine Community Library
- Exeter Community Library
- Fleetwood Area Public Library
- Hamburg Public Library
- Kutztown Community Library
- Mifflin Community Library
- Muhlenberg Community Library
- Reading Public Library
- Robesonia Community Library
- Schuylkill Valley Community Library
- Sinking Spring Public Library
- Spring Township Library
- Village Library of Morgantown
- Wernersville Public Library
- West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library
- Womelsdorf Community Library
- Yocum Library (RACC)
Library patrons with questions about the upcoming migration should visit berkslibraries.org/migration for additional information and FAQ.
The Berks County Public Library (BCPL) System is a department of the County of Berks, serving 428,849 county residents across 866 square miles and 72 municipalities since 1986. Through the support of the Berks County commissioners, BCPL staff aids in strengthening the Berks County community by providing centralized support for the 19 full-service member libraries and four branches. For more information, please visit www.berkslibraries.org.
