Author:Justin Larsen

February 25, 2022 In CARL, Home Page, Press Releases

Latest CARL•Solution Release Advances Search & Discovery

The Library Corporation (TLC) is delighted to announce the latest release of the CARL•Solution integrated library system. Among the variety of new features and customer-driven development made in this recent release is a distinct crowd favorite: enhanced searching infrastructure of the online catalog for more relevant results of titles containing special characters, alphanumerics, and compound punctuation — both in the traditional display and in the Grouped Title (FRBR) display.

An online catalog is often the first point of access into the library for patrons; therefore, its importance is obvious as library borrowers will be able to discover titles of interest and obtain a specific set of results that are most relevant to their needs. CARL•Connect Discovery — the native CARL•Solution discovery layer — provides a seamless and well-tuned experience for library users.

Search results now cross-reference additional sub-fields in the record to achieve more relevantly tailored results. A searcher interested in the discography of the Australian rock band AC/DC will have no trouble finding the library’s collection when searching with the slash. Similarly, the Stephen King novel about the time traveler who attempts to prevent a historic assassination will be searchable as 11.22.63 or 11/22/63 or even 112263. Keywords such as O’Keefe can be easily found by searching with or without the apostrophe.

CARL•Solution customer Celia Morse, Automation Services Consultant with The Library Network, shared positively on the modern catalog for their community: “We made our decision to migrate to CARL because of the public interface and we haven’t regretted it.”

This latest release includes improved navigation in the catalog with the addition of jump-to-page numbers on search results and the ability to increase the number of results per page. Library staff will also appreciate improved navigation in CARL•Connect Staff with more keyboard shortcuts and new dashboard displays.

Full item information stored in 949 tags is now discoverable in Z39.50 searches. This will enhance the search and display of library holdings for interlibrary loan use and other third-party vendors and libraries who search CARL•Solution customer databases via Z39.50 protocols.

In-house discoverability received a nod in the latest update with the new limiting option for floating collections. Libraries can set items to float to other branches automatically upon return by setting limits on Location codes. Previously, libraries could set float limits against Media codes only.

Other new features in this release pave a path for future development with a continued focus to bring more functionality into the web-based interfaces. Development included new web-based Acquisitions functionality and advanced reporting through the early adopter release of IBM Cognos web-based reporting.

Jessica Seybold, a CARL•Solution Product Owner, stated, “Our development is not just taking functionality from CARL•X and placing it in CARL•Connect. Instead, it’s being completely reevaluated to provide the ideal workflow and functionality that our customers want.”

The latest release of CARL•Solution includes CARL•X v9.7.1, CARL•Connect Staff v1.6.7, CARL•Connect Discovery v3.6.5, and CARL•Solution APIs v2.0.1.

To see CARL•Solution for yourself, please contact us at sales@TLCdelivers.com.

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 and worldwide. 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 Colorado, Minnesota, and Singapore.

February 4, 2022 In CARL, Home Page, Press Releases, Tech Logic

A Perfect Fit: Winter Park Library, TLC, and Tech Logic Team up for Prestigious Building Project

The Library Corporation (TLC) and Tech Logic congratulate Winter Park Library (WPL) on the completion of their distinguished new building, designed by the renowned architect, Sir David Adjaye. The two vendors served as a single systems integrator for the library’s project, providing the foundational CARL•Solution integrated library system and Tech Logic’s suite of automation solutions. The building project has been nominated for the ArchDaily 2022 Building of the Year Awards.

Winter Park Library has been operating from its new building for approximately one month, though the project has undergone several phases since its bond referendum passed in 2016. WPL set out to create a community space and a new service model with the future in mind. They wanted to have flexibility, to be accessible, and to meet patrons at the point of need. TLC’s integrated library system and Tech Logic’s automation hardware were key to that success.

In October 2020, WPL completed their migration from SirsiDynix to TLC as one phase of the new service model. Melissa Schneider, Assistant Director at Winter Park Library, shared what went into their decision: “Our focus was that we had to have a catalog that functioned the way people expect modern technology to function. We wanted that ‘Amazon search experience.’ We didn’t see anything else on the market that came anywhere close to what TLC offered.”

In the new service model, roving staff are equipped with a tablet, fully mobile CARL•Connect Staff and the CARL•Connect Discovery FRBR-ized catalog from TLC, miniature RFID pads, and everything they need to assist patrons. The Winter Park community appreciates the library’s hands-on and concierge-like service. When the new building opened, it also included eight selfCIRC PRIME self-service kiosks, rfidGATE security gates, and a new totalAMH automated material handler, all provided by Tech Logic.

“The game-changer for us with Tech Logic’s materials handler was the multi-item induction feature,” stated Schneider. “In terms of thinking about how our members use the library, we thought, ‘We’re going to build this incredible state-of-the-art library, and then we’re going to tell our moms with kids that have a stack of books to return that they have to feed them into the machine one at a time?!’ That’s crazy.”

TLC and Tech Logic streamlined technology, processes, and workflows for Winter Park Library. “Historically, we had many vendors, and getting each one to talk to the other, getting the systems to think as one, was just not possible,” shared Schneider. “Having these combined companies that work so well together, that don’t have conflicting technology, was really appealing to us.”

With a population of over 30,000 residents, Winter Park is located just north of Orlando, Florida. The single-site library system — about a mile from its previous location — was founded in 1885 and is home to over 121,000 items with an average annual circulation of almost 400,000.

Since opening their new location, Winter Park Library has welcomed a record number of new members and visitors. In an average month in their previous location, the library would have enrolled 185 new members and seen 300 to 500 people per day. In contrast, in just two weeks’ time in the new facility, WPL enrolled over 900 new members and welcomed between 600 to 800 people per day.

For more information on partnering with TLC and Tech Logic for your library’s upcoming, large-scale service remodel or building renovation, please reach out at info@TLCdelivers.com.

About Tech Logic
For 25 years, Tech Logic has been the leading provider of innovative sorting technologies, circulation staff support tools, and patron self-service solutions for public and institutional libraries throughout North America. With hundreds of customers worldwide, Tech Logic promises to deliver the most thoughtful approach to the automation technology issues facing your library today. Tech Logic is proud to design, manufacture, build and support our solutions from our headquarters in Oakdale, Minnesota.

January 20, 2022 In Home Page, Press Releases

TLC Celebrates 2021 Data Migration Accomplishments

For over 45 years, The Library Corporation (TLC) has prided itself on the level of detail orientation and dedication performed by its data team for all new customers, current customer upgrade and migration projects, and in its ongoing vendor-agnostic data services. To celebrate the accomplishments of this team, TLC is pleased to announce the statistics from its 2021 year-in-review.

In 2021…

The Library Corporation welcomed the return of four former TLC customers, migrating back from the following competing vendors: Innovative, Koha & Bywater, and Follett. Additional customers in 2021 also joined TLC from SirsiDynix.

Across all databases from new and returning customers, TLC completed the transfer of 1,191,684 bibliographic records, 1,649,365 item records, and 299,222 borrower records. Of these bibliographic records, 1,137,821 records were automatically converted to RDA-enabled records in the migration process.

“During a data migration, TLC ensures all numbers match,” stated Sherry Banks, Director of Operations at TLC Headquarters. “We account for every single record received and provide a report of all records.”

TLC development teams completed 26 new releases between Library•Solution and CARL•X integrated library systems, plus eBiblioFile services. An additional 46 existing customers across 271 sites upgraded to Library•Solution version 5.x, the latest and most advanced version of Library•Solution; while all existing CARL customers across 491 sites are now using CARL•X version 9.6.8 or higher.

133 additional library organizations adopted enhanced OPAC services via ProQuest Syndetics.

54 library customers in 1,139 locations migrated into TLC’s third-generation hosting model, TLC•Cloud Services provided via Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. As of 2022, TLC now manages 61 customers across four time zones and two continents using TLC•Cloud Services.

Customers of TLC’s eBiblioFile cataloging service received a total of the following ready-to-load records over the year: 247,272 full records, 249,236 minimal records, and 29,254 upgraded records.

“Every single member of the TLC team provides outstanding and unparalleled service to our customers, every day,” beamed Annette Murphy, TLC’s CEO and founder. “The dedication we provide to our customers sets us apart from the competition and keeps our libraries moving forward seamlessly.”

For more information on TLC’s implementation, migration, and data services, please speak to a representative at info@TLCdelivers.com.

January 14, 2022 In Home Page, Press Releases

TLC Receives Platinum in 2022 Modern Library Awards from LibraryWorks

The Library Corporation (TLC) is pleased to announce it has received a platinum award in LibraryWorks’ eighth annual Modern Library Awards (MLAs) for its FRBRized online catalog, CARL•Connect Discovery Grouped Title Display.

The MLAs were created to recognize top products and services in the library industry in a truly unbiased format. Products and services were submitted in the fall of 2021 by using a simple application and then were posted on a private site with an enhanced description and attendant materials. The submitted products were batched into small groups and sent to the LibraryWorks database of more than 80,000 librarians at public, K-12, academic, and special libraries.

Only customers with experience using CARL•Connect Discovery Grouped Title Displays in their libraries were permitted to judge, resulting in a truly unbiased score. Each judge scored CARL•Connect Discovery Grouped Title Displays on a numeric basis from 1-10 on a series of questions regarding functionality, value, customer services, etc.

• Customers rated their satisfaction with TLC, on average, as 9.75
• The FRBR catalog received an overall score of 9.15

Grouped Title Display functionality in CARL•Connect Discovery displays a single entry for a work instead of numerous entries for each format and edition. Grouping multiple editions and formats of a bibliographic record gives library users a clear and trustworthy view of the library collection. CARL customers have been included in the development of Grouped Title Display from its inception, with active feedback reflected in the product.

One customer judge shared anonymously, “The grouped title display consolidated over 100 records for Pride and Prejudice into a single trusted record with all of the individual bibliographic records organized by format, making it easy for patrons to find the version they are interested in.”

Other customers have expressed similarly positive feedback with TLC and with Grouped Title Display:

“Access is one of our core values — we believe in every individual’s free and confidential access to information, technology, research, classes, history, and resources. This feature provides a seamless searching experience, enabling us to live this value every day as we strive to be a model library in our industry.”
— Melissa Schneider, Assistant Director, Winter Park Library

“With about a million bibliographic records, The Library Network’s shared catalog includes multiple editions and formats for many titles, especially classics. FRBR helps our patrons by grouping records under format labels so they can quickly pinpoint and locate the title and type of material that they are looking for.”
— Celia Morse, Automation Services Consultant, The Library Network

“We would be doing a disservice to our customers by not providing them with a modern and user-friendly discovery catalog. The transition to the TLC’s modern FRBR catalog was seamless for customers and staff, and we have no regrets about our decision!”
— Wennie Fleming, ILS Librarian at Loudoun County Public Library

Jenny Newman, publisher and MLA program manager said, “It’s hardly a surprise that TLC scored so well. They’ve been at the forefront of the industry since their company entered the market in 1974.”

For more information on the CARL product suite, please visit TLCdelivers.com or speak to a representative at sales@TLCdelivers.com.

About LibraryWorks
LibraryWorks helps administrators to make informed decisions about library technology, automation and software, collection development and management, facilities and furnishings, staffing, purchasing, and other areas that drive effective strategic planning and day-to-day operations. Our family of resources can enable you to identify best practices, monitor trends, evaluate new products and services, apply for grants and funding, post or find a job, and even enjoy some library humor.

About the Modern Library Awards program
The Modern Library Awards (MLAs) is a review program designed to recognize elite products and services in the market which can help library management personnel enhance the quality-of-experience for the library user and increase the performance of their library systems.

December 17, 2021 In CARL, Home Page, Press Releases

Now Live on CARL: Frederick County Public Libraries Complete Transition to TLC

The Library Corporation (TLC) is delighted to announce the completed implementation of the CARL•X integrated library system for Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL) in Frederick, Maryland. TLC completed migration services for the nine-site library from its SirsiDynix system following the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday.

Located in the triangle between Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and TLC’s headquarters office in Inwood, West Virginia, Frederick County Public Libraries serve a population of approximately 260,000. FCPL includes over 440,000 titles, 591,000 items, and an expected 3 million annual transactions, with data hosted through TLC•Cloud Services.

Staff at both the library and TLC commented positively on the success of the transition. “It’s been a very smooth process and any bumps we’ve encountered, TLC has been incredibly responsive and helpful in migrating to CARL with ease,” said Levi Branson, Circulation Services Supervisor of C. Burr Artz Public Library.

Cindy Phillips, Manager for CARL Implementation and Product Training, shared similar sentiments: “The staff at Frederick County Public Libraries has been fantastic. The migration has gone smoothly due to their great teamwork internally and with TLC.”

“Our customers have loved our new catalog,” said Catie Hall, Associate Director of Frederick County Public Libraries. “FCPL’s goal was to simplify access to our collection and CARL’s mobile-friendly and user-friendly interface has done just that.” Student patrons of the public library may recognize the similarities of the online catalog to the library catalog deployed in their public school system, as TLC customer Frederick County Public Schools has been using Library•Solution for Schools since 2008.

View Frederick County Public Library’s cloud-hosted catalog at catalog.fcpl.org. For more information on the CARL product suite, please visit TLCdelivers.com or speak to a representative at sales@tlcdelivers.com.

November 29, 2021 In Home Page, LibrarySolution, Press Releases

Bryan + College Station Library Migrates to TLC for Efficiency and Security

The Library Corporation (TLC) is pleased to announce the recent implementation of Library•Solution for Bryan + College Station Public Library System (BCS). TLC completed the migration services for the three-site library system from their Polaris integrated library system earlier this month.

BCS serves a population of approximately 200,000 residents across the twin cities of Bryan and College Station in the Brazos Valley of Texas — including a collection of over 172,000 titles and more than 210,000 items.

In addition to the integrated library system and support services provided by TLC, BCS has implemented TLC•Cloud Services underpinned by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, as well as enriched OPAC services via Syndetics Unbound, and TLC’s ITS•MARC subscription service for bibliographic and authority records.

Two main factors that played into the decision included cost effectiveness and increased efficiencies. The library website shared: “This change will result in cost savings, increase workflow efficiencies, and allow us to move to a cloud-based platform.” Library•Solution’s seamless ebook integration service “will allow us to manage both print and online resources within one system. This greatly simplifies our work to make our online collections available.”

Another important factor apparent in the library’s decision to migrate included an emphasis on cybersecurity. BCS evaluated a number of cybersecurity factors — including overall security posture, data storage in the U.S. with regular and two-way encrypted backups, offsite backups, regular penetration testing, frequency of software updates, server hardening, regular security patching of servers, and personnel training in security. “Of the 6 or 7 vendors that we looked at,” stated Wendell Gragg, the Automation Services Supervisor at BCS, “TLC was superior to the other products.”

“TLC does not treat security as an afterthought,” shared Annette Murphy, CEO of TLC. “We are glad to welcome Bryan + College Station Public Library System into the TLC family, and we look forward to hosting the library for many years to come.”

Bryan + College Station Public Library System’s enriched and cloud hosted catalog can be viewed at bcslibrary.tlcdelivers.com. For more information on Library•Solution, please visit TLCdelivers.com or speak to a representative at sales@tlcdelivers.com.

September 8, 2021 In CARL, Home Page, LibrarySolution, Press Releases, schools

The Library Corporation Launches TLC•GO! Mobile App for Public, K-12, and Academic libraries.

The Library Corporation (TLC) is pleased to announce its new partnership with SOLUS to provide a world-leading mobile library app to customers using their CARL, Library•Solution, and Library•Solution for Schools integrated library systems in the public, K-12, and academic library markets.

TLC•Go! will provide an additional option to TLC customers who may already be using the responsive platforms in mobile environments, as well as the mobile app wrapper available with CARL. The new mobile app will provide:

A highly configurable Content Management System allowing for logos, colors/fonts, field labels, menu layouts, and ability to schedule content
Support of 24 current languages
Curbside pickup functionality for libraries that will continue a pick-up service post-COVID
A digital library card that can support linked accounts (family members, elder care, etc.)
Links to social media feeds and calendar/event programs
Ability to search the catalog, place/cancel holds, pay fines (to supported ePayment gateways), switch language, etc.
A cost-effective consortium option to allow member libraries to have their own branding, eContent, link to local calendar and social media feeds at a fraction of the price of a full app
Optional contactless self-checkout via RFID or barcode for borrowers using their own smartphone
Scan ISBN of book at local bookstores, friends, etc. to determine if item is at the local or school library

Neil Wishart, CEO of SOLUS, stated, “TLC has continued to be a leader in its markets for both the CARL community and Library•Solution products. We look forward to enhancing their product matrix to serve their markets and extend their customer reach to include mobile smartphones and tablets.”

Annette Murphy, TLC founder and CEO, announced, “Partnering with SOLUS will allow TLC to expand our offerings and bring more options to help our valuable customers better serve their communities in this modern and mobile era.”

For more information on TLC•Go!, please reach out to a representative at sales@tlcdelivers.com.

About Solus UK Ltd.
Solus is the world’s #1 Library App provider for public libraries and growing in academics; now in use in over 7,000 locations on 5 continents and growing rapidly. The Library App supports 12 different ILS platforms using APIs and web services and is available in 24 languages. Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Solus has offices in Australia and the US and provides white labelled solutions to a number of ILS partners, as well as selling direct.

August 24, 2021 In Home Page, LibrarySolution, Press Releases

Belhaven University Includes Library•Solution on its Back-to-School List

The Library Corporation (TLC) welcomes Belhaven University to its family of customers as the university library in Jackson, Mississippi, recently completed its implementation of Library•Solution. The migration to the new library management system will allow the Belhaven University library staff more operational efficiencies and improved workflows, just in time for the start of the Fall semester.

Belhaven University has campuses in the historic district of Mississippi’s capital city and in DoSoto County toward the northernmost part of the state, serving a student population of approximately 4,400 between the physical campuses and their online degree programs.

With the implementation of Library•Solution, the library staff have been thrilled to have Active Directory integration, access to reports in a practical and streamlined interface, and the ability to automatically load patron records from their student database. These features will significantly improve processes and workflows for library staff.

Catalogers will also enjoy better Authority Control with Library•Solution. Borrowers will notice improved search results in the catalog from built-in relevancy ranking plus the database cleanup that took place during migration.

TLC founder and CEO, Annette Murphy, announced: “We are happy to welcome Belhaven University library and we look forward to supporting them in their mission for providing young professionals with the tools to navigate a rapidly changing society and grow into tomorrow’s leaders.”

For more information on Library•Solution, please visit TLCdelivers.com or speak to a representative at sales@tlcdelivers.com.

August 17, 2021 In CARL, Home Page, Press Releases

Latest CARL Product Release Highlights Public Library Patrons

The Library Corporation (TLC) has just announced the latest release of the CARL suite of integrated library software, including features targeted at providing inclusive library features and pleasant patron experiences, in addition to enhancing library staff workflows and providing additional customization options to meet their libraries’ community needs. This summer release includes CARL•X version 9.6.9, CARL•Connect Staff version 1.6.5, CARL•Connect Discovery version 3.6.3, and CARL APIs version 1.9.9.

CARL customers who joined the Release Demo this month were enthusiastic. Wennie Fleming, ILS Librarian at Loudoun County Public Library, shared, “Love all of these new changes for CARL•X, CARL•Connect Staff and CARL•Connect Discovery!! TLC nailed it again.” Likewise, Lynn Hoffman, Director of Operations at Somerset County Library System of New Jersey, expressed that “These CARL•Connect Staff updates are game-changers!”

A longstanding patron frustration in the library industry has been when an item on their account is unable to be renewed because a hold has been placed on the title, even though patrons can see additional copies available on shelf. The latest CARL release addresses this concern by comparing the number of holds currently placed on a title against the number of copies available on shelf that could fulfill the outstanding holds, and allowing the renewal if the available items to holds ratio meets library-defined parameters. This comparison happens at the point of renewal via staff access, within the patron’s account, and during auto-renewal.

Another patron-focused enhancement allows libraries to customize the number of days before a patron account is blocked when an item on their account is overdue. A nuanced approach to the Fine Free movement taking place in libraries, this setting will continue to incentivize the return of materials without creating a financial impact to patrons.

Along the lines of community inclusion, a new Account field for Full Legal Name — in addition to the current first and last name fields — will allow libraries more flexibility to use a patron’s preferred name without losing the legal name.

Patrons will continue to have control over the privacy of their Loan History, now with the ability to let library staff view that history. Keeping patron privacy at the forefront of this functionality in current and previous versions, patrons who wished to view their previous loans had to opt-in to the service. This latest improvement adds another layer of opt-in security, to expand privileges for library staff to view the history, such as when troubleshooting or curating personalized reading recommendations.

These features join many more in the latest CARL product suite release. Some of these enhancements include improved lightbox check-in alerts in the web-based circulation client, new customization options for receipts, improved series discovery in the online catalog, updates to the underlying Java foundation and security attributes, and more. Current CARL customers can find the full Release Notes on CARL•Community.

To see these features for yourself, or to answer any questions you may have about the CARL product suite, please reach out to us at sales@tlcdelivers.com.

June 15, 2021 In Home Page, LibrarySolution, Press Releases

Leander Public Library & TLC’s Library•Solution: Reunited And It Feels So Good!

The Library Corporation (TLC) continues its busy 2021 schedule with the reimplementation of Library•Solution for Leander Public Library (LPL) in Leander, Texas. Currently a customer of TLC’s AMH and RFID company Tech Logic, LPL will be rejoining the full TLC family again. This will be Leander’s first use of Library•Solution since 2011.

Located 30 miles north of Austin, TX, Leander offers its 60,000+ residents a blend of country life and urban metropolitan living. Leander Public Library will also be offering its borrowers a blend of TLC’s award-winning solutions: Library•Solution and Tech Logic’s CircIT. During implementation, LPL was able to seize on TLC and Tech Logic’s shared Support and Client Services resources to immediately troubleshoot and provide solutions to the library community.

Leander will not only be utilizing Library•Solution’s core Library Management Software applications but also TLC’s OSA acquisition module and TLC•Cloud Services. Powered by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, TLC•Cloud Services was recently awarded the 2021 Service of the Year by the Modern Library Awards.

“TLC is happy to welcome Leander Public Library back to the TLC family,” stated founder and CEO, Annette Murphy. “Libraries are continually striving to offer improved services and experiences to their communities. We appreciate Leander recognizing TLC’s commitment to supporting that mission and look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”