The date for the switchover to the new library system is fast approaching! Here’s an update on the planned schedule and things to be aware of for using the Bodleian Libraries in July.
Stack requests
From 5pm on Thursday 7th July to 9am on Monday 18th July, while the new system is being implemented, it will not be possible to order items from the Bodleian bookstacks. If you would like to use material from the Bodleian stacks during this period, you are advised to place your stack requests by Friday 1st July in order to ensure that the book can be delivered to the reading room before the downtime.
We will be able to fetch material from the VHL stacks (for consultation in the VHL only) using manual request slips. Please ask staff at the desk for a slip. You should also still be able to request special collections material in the Radcliffe Science Library or stack material in Rhodes House Library in those libraries in the same way.
Library catalogue
Both telnet and the web versions of OLIS (http://library.ox.ac.uk) will be switched off permanently at 5pm on Thursday 7th July. The only catalogue available for the new system will be SOLO, which will continue to be available throughout the downtime (except for a brief period towards the end). With the new system, SOLO’s functionality will be increased to allow you to do all the things you used to have to click through to OLIS for. If you are not already familiar with searching on SOLO, we would suggest you start familiarising yourself now! Library staff are always available to provide help and guidance, and once the new system is in place there will also be further guides, courses and tutorials. For more guidance on searching SOLO in its current incarnation, please see the SOLO online guide.
OxLIP+ and e-journals
OxLIP+ and e-journals will be unaffected, and you will still be able to search for and access electronic resources as usual.
Password resets
As the staff system will be down, we will not be able to reset any library passwords (for logging on to the PCs or wireless or checking your record) from 8th-17th July. Similarly, you will not be able to log in to your record on OLIS and change it yourself. Please make sure you know your password before 8th July, and ask us to reset it if necessary before then.
Lending (for those registered to borrow)
It will still be possible to borrow books throughout the downtime, using a back-up system. However, transactions will not be recorded on the catalogue so you won’t be able to see for yourself whether a book is out on loan. As check-in and renewal won’t be possible, any books checked out from Thursday 7th July until Friday 15th July will be due back on Monday 18th. If you return books to us during the downtime, we will not reshelve them until we can check them in on the new system.
SOLO e-shelf – check your email address!
If you use the e-shelf function on SOLO, you will need to check that your email address is recorded correctly in your record in order that the records you have saved can be migrated to the new version. To do this, log into SOLO as you usually would, then click on ‘my account’ in the top right-hand corner. If you need to change the email address listed, then click on ‘edit details’.
New books and purchasing
We are now not able to order any new books until the new system is up and running. You can continue to send us recommendations for books to buy, but please be aware that we won’t be able to get them here until probably August (taking into account delivery time). Books that have already been ordered will continue to arrive, however from 6th-18th July we will not be able to add them to the catalogue. Likewise, we will not be able to record the arrival of new journal issues, but if you are particularly keen to see a book or journal issue that you know is on its way or should have arrived, please do ask and we will fetch it out for you if we have it.
18th July: new system!
The new system will go live at 9am on Monday 18th July, and all normal library activities and processes will resume (with the exception of telnet/old web OLIS as described above). Please bear with us though if there are bugs or if we’re a little slower than normal, as we’ll be getting used to it ourselves over the following few weeks.
More information
Keep an eye on the blog, as well as our Facebook page and/or Twitter feed for updates throughout the downtime. If you have any further questions, please ask us!