By Sophia Schlegelmilch | Editor in Chief
Photos by Betsabee Torres
The LaChance Library aims to better serve students’ needs by migrating to a new library network this summer.
Jess Mynes, Assistant Dean of Library Services and Technology, said MWCC is one of two schools joining the Higher Education Libraries of Massachusetts (HELM) consortium this year. The new network will give students and faculty access to a larger catalog of academic materials and will allow resource sharing between a growing number of Massachusetts college libraries.
Students can expect to see the new network go live in June, with one month of overlap between the old and new systems.
Mynes said that there will be no downtime associated with the switch, and that student ID cards and library card numbers will not change. “We were adamant about keeping that the same,” Mynes emphasized. Public patrons of the library will need to sign up for a new library card, but will have access to a much larger statewide catalog once they do.
While the appearance of the online catalog interface will be slightly different, Mynes said that the changes are expected to provide easier access to resources. In particular, course materials should be easier to reserve and access with the new system.
Separate resource databases, such as Kanopy, will not be affected by the migration.
Mynes said that the switch was motivated by a desire to be a part of an academic library community. According to Mynes, the shift to an academic focus will allow MWCC to collaborate directly with other college libraries to make decisions and set priorities.
“We’ll have a voice in shaping our future, instead of being a bystander,” he said.
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