|
www.palliserlibrary.ca
New Changes Effective January 12th 2010
Palliser Regional Library
is now part of a provincial consortium that is moving towards a "one
province, one library card" system. The consortium, officially known
as the Saskatchewan Information & Library Services Consortium (SILS),
has purchased an elite, technologically advanced integrated library
system which offers new products and services that will enhance your
library experience. This purchase was made possible by a provincial grant
of $5.2 million to be spread over four years and regional funding. The
new system will connect all public libraries throughout the province and
may eventually include school and academic libraries. As part of the
initiative, all public libraries in the province have agreed on a new set
of borrowing rules and late charges. In Canada, an agreement on this
scale, involving over 300 libraries, is unprecedented and
testimony to our cooperative prairie spirit!
Saskatoon First to
Go Live, Palliser and Southeast Regional Libraries to “Go
Live” on January 12, 2010
 Saskatoon Public Library was the
first to go live with the new system on December 15, 2009. Palliser and
Southeast Regional Libraries will jointly launch the new system on
January 12, 2010. The remaining 8 public library systems will follow in
clustered phases, with all systems on board over the next year. At that
time, we truly will be a "one province, one library card"
system.
Unfortunately, there will be disruptions to service as
we adjust to the new system. Please “BEAR WITH US” as the learning curve is steep. Our new
books received in November and December 2009 will not be available until
we are up on the new system. We apologize in advance and thank you for
your understanding and patience.
Planned
Closure on January 11 and 12, 2010
All branches of the Palliser
Library will close on Monday, January 11 and Tuesday, January 12, 2010 —while we migrate
to the new system. This means you will not be able
to access "My Account" (online and by
telephone), our catalogue or some databases. You will be able to access
the rest of our website. You will not accumulate fines over this closure and book slots will remain open.
Unfortunately there will be
disruptions to service as we adjust to the new system. We apologize in
advance and thank you for your understanding and patience. Access to Library services and
resources will resume on Wednesday, January 13.
New
Features
As the Palliser Regional
Library System is the first of the regional systems to implement the new
system, we will focus on the basics first. Please note that our website
and the services offered will be “Under Construction”
over the coming months as we add additional new features and products.
As part of your library experience, you will
eventually discover:
Ø
a
library catalogue with access—once all 11 systems are
onboard—to ten times the number of items you had before. This
catalogue will include a separate colourful
catalogue for children and will include book cover images, improved
search results, tag clouds, and patron book reviews;
Ø
a customized library card account
and improved security measures;
Ø
extended access to our website
and online resources;
Ø
access to the library from your iPhone, BlackBerry or other
smart phones;
Ø
improved notification system for holds
and overdues, including the option of e-mail, and e-mail pre-notification;
Ø
a
patron reading list feature that you can turn on to keep track of the
books that you have read.
Changes
to Late Charges
As
part of the new provincial consortium, all public libraries in the
province have agreed on a new schedule of late charges (fines J)).
The new rates, which are now attached to the type of material, rather
than classification of patron, come into effect for each system as it
migrates.
Please
note that the new “late charges” rates will automatically
take effect on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.
New
Schedule: Children's
materials—now no late charges
Ø
Teen material—$0.20/day
Ø
Adult
material—$0.30/day
Ø
Adult DVDs—$1/day
Ø
Seniors will now incur late
charges at the same rate as other adult borrowers.
Borrowing Periods and
Renewals
There are a number of new
borrowing rules and services that we will share with you as we move into
the new system. Generally, borrowing periods and renewals remain the
same. You can renew an item twice, as long as no one else has placed a
hold on the item. Also, effective December 15, magazines will no longer
be renewable.
Ø
Most books, CDs, CD-ROMS—21
days
Ø
Videos, DVDs—7 days
Ø
Magazines—7 days (no
renewals)
The
following materials that cannot be borrowed/placed on hold from another
Region or City Library:
Due to the limited supply of or sensitivity of the
following material types, they cannot be requested from out-of-region:
Ø
DVD’s
Ø
Local history collections
Ø
Special Collections such as Art
from the Dunlop Gallery, kits, book club sacks etc.
Ø
Access to locally owned on-line
databases
Ø
Hot Titles
Ø
Magazines
New Library Cards
As part of the consortium
negotiation, all public library cards in the province will now look the
same, except for the presence of each library system's individual logo.
The new cards also have a convenient key chain fob to make borrowing even
easier! After migration, Palliser Regional Library patrons can exchange
their library card for the new one when their current card expires, or
upon request. (You can check the expiry date on your card by visiting "My Account" online or in person at
our service desks.) Because you can now register with your own local
library system anywhere in the province, there is also a universal
library card which you can use until you are able to get a local card.
Back to Palliser Regional Library Home Page
|