The Alexandria Library will unveil an upgraded online catalog system on August 19, which will require all library branches to close for the day as staff migrate to the new platform.
The new integrated library system, provided by Innovative Clarivate, promises to enhance the user experience for both patrons and staff while making the library’s collection of books, audiobooks, DVDs, and other materials easier to discover and access.
“This upgrade represents a significant improvement in how our community can interact with our catalog,” the library announced in a statement Thursday.
Key features of the new system include a unified title display that shows all available formats of a book—print, digital, and audio—in one convenient location. The system will also provide enhanced series information, allowing readers to easily identify if a book is part of a series and view the complete reading order with cover art.
Personalized recommendations through a “You May Also Like” section will help patrons discover similar authors, titles, and series based on their interests. The system will also allow users to save specific searches within their accounts, making it easier to track new releases from favorite authors or follow particular topics without having to re-enter search criteria.
Parents and young readers will benefit from enhanced information for children’s books, including Lexile measures, Accelerated Reader scores, and recommended age and grade levels.
The library warns that some minor service interruptions will occur during the transition to the new system. Complete details about the interruptions and all new features are available at alexlibraryva.org/catalog-upgrade.
The August 19 closure will affect all Alexandria Library branches as staff work to implement the new system. The library expects the upgraded catalog to be fully operational when branches reopen.
For questions about the catalog upgrade, patrons are directed to contact [email protected].
