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Surviving the Switch : Changing Your ILS From Two Perspectives

Surviving the Switch : Changing Your ILS From Two Perspectives. Michelle Dotson, Library Director & Nancy R. Webster, Children’s Librarian Northumberland Public Library. It sometimes seemed a long journey, but the destination was and is worth all the hard work!. NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

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Surviving the Switch : Changing Your ILS From Two Perspectives

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  1. Surviving the Switch:Changing Your ILS From Two Perspectives Michelle Dotson, Library Director & Nancy R. Webster, Children’s Librarian Northumberland Public Library

  2. It sometimes seemed a long journey, but the destination was and is worth all the hard work!

  3. NEEDS ASSESSMENT

  4. You know you need a new ILS! What’s next? Do your homework!

  5. Identify your stakeholders Library Board Staff Patrons May also include County/city government IT Department Get them all involved in the process!

  6. Identify problems with current system Ask what improvements staff and patrons would like Research other ILS products Request several quotes

  7. CHOOSING THE PRODUCT

  8. Get the mostbang for your buck!

  9. Our plan was to pick a new ILS that would: Solve current problems. Be web hosted. Provide as many staff/patron requested updates as possible. Be user friendly for patrons.

  10. PREPARINGFOR THECHANGE

  11. Weed, weed, weed! Do a thorough shelf check of all stacks Keep stakeholders up to date on the status…keep the excitement going! Offer fine forgiveness to get materials back on the shelves.

  12. If your new ILS vendor permits,ask for a preview of the new system. If the new ILS has options that allow for customizing OPAC, get it ready for its big PREMIER!

  13. THEGREATMIGRATION

  14. Prepare yourself for glitches!Keep your schedule light in anticipation of problem-solving!Start preparing NOW for the upcoming training…announce that you will be CLOSED for a day for training.

  15. This is a positive change & you WILL get through it!

  16. TRAINING YOUR STAFF

  17. Give staff plenty of notice of training date.Make certain EVERYONE who needs training is in attendance.Keep everyone on topic and up to speed with the track of training.

  18. Have a ready lunch break solution that will result in everyone being ready when training session resumes.Give staff opportunities for questions and hands-on trials AFTER training session is over.

  19. THE PUBLICPREMIERE

  20. Your first day is going to be all about public education!Prepare for reluctance!Anticipate the punches!

  21. BEYOND THEBEGINNING

  22. Once the new system is in place… NOW is the time to start your realcollections inventories – without all the bugs! After the first month it may be time to change permissions, adjust/reassign duties, etc.

  23. Get constant feedback (good & bad) from patrons and address problems.This is a time for constant patron education.Make changes slowly.

  24. LESSONSLEARNED

  25. Some things we found out… Check for hidden costs from previous ILS vendor. During training, identify staff members that may have issues learning new skills. Discourage disparaging words from staff. Not everyone is going to be happy with changes!

  26. “Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole...” ― Maya Angelou

  27. WALLOWINTHE GLORY!

  28. For more information, please feel free to contact us. Michelle Dotson mdotson@nplva.org or Nancy R. Webster nwebster@nplva.org 804.580.5051

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