St. Catharines and Niagara Falls libraries cost-sharing a new online catalogue and borrowing system

This November, St. Catharines Public Library (SCPL) and Niagara Falls Public Library (NFPL) will introduce a new online catalogue and borrowing system featuring enhanced functionality and user experience through a joint-cost sharing initiative.

“This partnership allows us to provide our communities with a top-of-the-line platform that offers features previously out of reach for a single library system,” said Ken Su, CEO of SCPL.

This collaborative resource-sharing agreement is designed to benefit both libraries and their communities. The libraries will share the cost of this new system, which will allow for increased efficiencies for each system. SCPL and NFPL will work together on this project but will continue to operate as separate library systems. They will maintain their independent collections that best serve the needs of their unique communities.

The new system will create a more intuitive customer experience while also enabling both libraries to collect better circulation data. A more thorough and comprehensive system will help both libraries further refine and strengthen their collections, so they represent what their communities want to borrow.

“Our library management software tells us which materials are most popular, who our key audiences are, and how customers are using the library,” said Alicia Kilgour, CEO and Chief Librarian of NFPL. “As a result, we’re able to make data-driven decisions about our collections to best serve our communities.”

In addition to a more customized collection, customers will benefit from user-friendly navigability, modern catalogue interface, and more effective communication from the libraries.

The two libraries began discussing resource-sharing in 2023 by exploring ways to increase efficiencies for each system while improving service levels for their communities. In June 2024, SCPL and NFPL entered a reciprocal borrowing agreement allowing cardholders from one library to access a membership from the other free of charge. With a reciprocal borrowing membership, customers can borrow physical materials including books, video games, and DVDs from the partnering library. This reciprocal borrowing agreement will remain in place after the launch of the new system.

Customers do not need to take any action at this time, and the libraries anticipate a smooth transition with minimal disruption to library service. Staff at SCPL and NFPL are working hard behind-the-scenes to make the change from one system to another as seamless as possible for staff and the community. More information will be shared by both library systems in the coming months leading up to the November launch so customers will be prepared for the change.