A milestone in the Bavarian FOLIO project has been achieved: Our partner pilot library, the library of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), went live with the open source software on 5 August 2024. At the same time, we successfully completed our first major test migration in collaboration with the Head Office of the Bavarian Library Network.
As FOLIO pilot libraries, we are working together with the Bavarian Library Network and the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre to prepare the live operation of FOLIO at the libraries of the 19 universities of applied sciences and the ten universities of the Free State of Bavaria. The TUM University Library will be the first Bavarian university library to go live with FOLIO in January 2025.
Roadmap for the FOLIO Go-Live at TUM
An important step towards this was the first test migration of our entire data inventory – including 1.2 million book records, 88,000 user accounts, 33,000 loans, and additional acquisition, order, reservation, and fee data. Overall, the test migration went well. The next steps involve a detailed review and verification of the migrated data, adjusting import scripts, and resolving any issues. With this preparation, we will proceed with the second test migration in early autumn.
After evaluating the second test migration, we will finalize the schedule for our go-live. We will inform you in advance about any temporary service limitations in connection with the go-live.
What does the system transition mean for library users?
Primarily, not much will change for you: The library system manages our internal processes, handling all tasks related to acquisitions, loans, and media access. The FOLIO module ERM (Electronic Resource Management) will simplify the licensing of our ever-growing collection of electronic media.
For you, this means: a modern online catalog (OPAC) with an improved user experience and better responsiveness on mobile devices. We will also take this opportunity to update our loan policies – offering you better borrowing services.
Further Information
News Post: Next-Generation Library System – We Are a FOLIO Pilot Library
Bavarian Library Network: BVB Prepares for FOLIO Deployment
Website: FOLIO – The Future of Libraries is Open
Website: German FOLIO User Group
