TLC Migrates Large Public Library-School Library Consortium
A TLC data services customer for 30 years, and a Library•Solution customer for over a decade, North Iowa Libraries Collaborating (NILC) moved from Library•Solution 4.2 to the web-based solution Library•Solution 5.5.3. The Library Corporation (TLC) smoothly migrated the consortium, consisting of 90 public and school library sites. This entirely web-based solution adds the ability of working from anywhere to all of the librarians in the consortium. “We view the migration as a positive step for the consortium and look forward to implementing its additional, new functionalities as time goes on. These provided an incentive for us to migrate to version 5.5.3,” stated Nathan Clark, NILC Coordinator and Director of the Emmetsburg Public Library.
According to Sherry Banks, Director of Operations at TLC HQ, TLC has performed a record number of migrations to the new software in the last four months, in addition to various other projects. “Libraries have had an opportunity to get to all of the projects they didn’t have time for before and we are all hands on deck to support them.”
Mirroring the situation facing many of the libraries in the United States, TLC has been operating under pandemic protocols since March 13th when the COVID-19 Global Pandemic forced closures of buildings all over the country. The team continues to not only provide 24/7 support for customers but also assist customers with workflows for the unique services created to serve their communities during the pandemic. Many libraries have taken advantage of being closed to upgrade their software and receive additional training through TLC’s vast library of virtual sessions and live sessions tailored to their individual needs.
“NILC consortium is emblematic of many libraries that TLC has the privilege to call family”, stated TLC founder and CEO Annette Murphy. “It’s inspirational to see our libraries take advantage of this time of uncertainty as an opportunity to update their tools in order to better serve patrons and staff while continuing to serve their communities.“
About North Iowa Libraries Collaborating (NILC)
The NILC consortium is comprised of 60+ multi-type libraries across Northern Iowa who collaborate to help deliver technical services to all its members, including the smallest libraries, at prices they can afford.
The Beacon Project is a shared implementation of TLC’s Library•Solution ILS suite that has existed since 2010. The strength of this project is that it puts a high-quality ILS from a long-standing company into very small libraries, some of whom were not even automated at the time of installation. Through economies of scale, we are able to deliver this top-notch ILS at a price that is competitive with any of the other options available.
About The Library Corporation:
TLC has operated continuously under the same ownership since 1974 and employs over 200 people dedicated to delivering enterprise software and hardware solutions to public, school, academic, and special libraries worldwide. TLC’s cumulative products are deployed in more than 1,100 organizations, representing over 5,500 locations in North America. TLC is certified by the U.S. General Services Administration, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program. TLC’s Headquarters is based in Inwood, W.Va., and has additional offices in Denver, Minnesota, and Singapore.
