Nashville Public Library and Metro Nashville Public Schools Implement CARL•Solution

The Library Corporation (TLC) is pleased to announce that the Nashville Public Library System (NPL) and Metro Nashville Public Schools are now live on a joint CARL•Solution® integrated library system. NPL migrated from Millennium by Innovative Interfaces Inc., while the Metro Nashville Schools moved to CARL•Solution from TLC’s Library•Solution for Schools®.

Key to the decision to bring both systems onto CARL•Solution was the need to truly consolidate the award winning Limitless Libraries partnership that began in 2009. Limitless Libraries is a cooperative program of NPL and Metro Nashville Schools with the goal of improving school libraries, fostering resource sharing between the two institutions, and improving student access to learning materials. Sharing a single ILS removes barriers to access and provides greater ease of use for the partnership. CARL•Solution was the best choice to simplify the management of library user accounts, as well as streamline circulation processes. Kent Oliver, NPL’s Library Director, agrees. “Nashville Public Library’s implementation of CARL•Solution will enable us to better serve all of our patrons, including students who borrow our materials from their school libraries through our Limitless Libraries partnership with Metro Nashville Schools. CARL•Solution provides greater operational connectivity between our library and Nashville’s school libraries. That means school librarians can assist students with borrowing and circulation more easily and have more time – once spent on administrative tasks – to spend with students.”

In addition to combining automation systems to support Limitless Libraries, TLC’s commitment to mobility was a significant factor in the selection of CARL. In fact, the Metro Nashville Schools will exclusively use the modern, intuitive CARL•Connect web-based product line at its 128 schools for staff and self-service interactions with the CARL ILS, further increasing efficiencies.

As the recent recipient of the 2017 Gale/Library Journal Library of the Year award, NPL was looking for a system that would partner with them to further identify and fulfill the needs of their diverse communities, and best showcase their vast programs, services and collections. Annette Harwood Murphy, Co-Founder, President/CEO of TLC shared, “TLC has enjoyed a successful collaboration with the Metro Nashville Public Schools for close to 15 years, and we are so honored to continue to work with them and the Nashville Public Library as they move forward on CARL•Solution. NPL and Metro Nashville Schools clearly understand the value of partnership through the celebrated Limitless Libraries and the scope of services they provide to their communities, and that makes them an excellent fit to our CARL family.”