Park Ridge library cardholders planning a visit Saturday, Oct. 17 or Sunday, Oct. 18 will need to bring their physical card along. The building stays open. The digital systems behind it do not.
The Park Ridge Public Library announced that its online catalog and cardholder services will go offline Saturday, Oct. 17 through Monday, Oct. 19. The shutdown will allow two new libraries, Wauconda Area Public Library and Rolling Meadows Library, to be added to the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) Consortium, the shared catalog and circulation system the library belongs to.
The expansion will bring the consortium to 34 member libraries.
What works and what doesn't
During the three-day window, patrons who have their physical library card in hand can still check out books and other materials. Staff will scan the barcode on the back of the card manually. Holds placed before the outage can also be picked up.
Several services will be unavailable. Patrons will not be able to:
- Return materials
- Apply for a new library card
- Place holds or search the online catalog
The library did not say when services will resume Oct. 19.
Why it matters
The CCS Consortium lets cardholders at member libraries search and borrow from one shared collection. The library said the two additions will expand the shared collection available to all cardholders. Jennifer Healy posted the service alert on the library's website.
A Facebook post from Warren-Newport Public Library, another CCS member in Gurnee, said the two joining libraries will bring more than 300,000 new items to the shared catalog.
Contact
The Park Ridge Public Library is at 20 S. Prospect Ave. For questions, call (847) 825-3123.
