Innovative Interface is a wholly owned business of Clarivate

Breeding, Marshall. ProQuest Acquisition of Innovative Proceeds. December 2020. Smart Libraries Newsletter. ProQuest announced that it has received notification from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the review of its acquisition of Innovative Interfaces has been completed. According to ProQuest Chief Executive Officer Matti Shem Tov, the acquisition of Innovative was accepted in its entirety and without further stipulations. ProQuest announced in December 2019 that it had acquired Innovative Interfaces from its previous owners, investment firms HGGC (formerly Huntsman Gay Global Capital) and JMI Equity in a transaction that closed on January 16, 2020. The FTC review commenced in February 2020, with ProQuest making a public statement acknowledging it on March 13, 2020. No specific information is available on what triggered this acquisition for review by the FTC, nor why it took place after the transaction had closed.

Breeding, Marshall. FTC Reviews ProQuest Acquisition of Innovative Interfaces. May 2020. Smart Libraries Newsletter. The acquisition of Innovative Interfaces by ProQuest, announced in December 2019, is one of the major events in the history of the library technology industry. The deal in which ProQuest purchased Innovative from its previous investors, HCCG and JMI Equity, closed on January 16, 2020. Innovative has become a wholly owned subsidiary of ProQuest, with Yariv Kursh in place as general manager. This transaction has attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, which has initiated a review of the impact of the acquisition on the competitive environment. No specific timeframe has been given on the review, nor can any outcomes be predicted until it is concluded.

Breeding, Marshall. Update on the Acquisition of Innovative by ProQuest. March 2020. Smart Libraries Newsletter. The acquisition of Innovative Interfaces by ProQuest featured in the last issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter closed on January 15, 2020 and is now finalized. Closing the acquisition begins the business and product integration process, which will play out over the next couple of years. Innovative ultimately will be incorporated into the Ex Libris subsidiary of ProQuest.

Breeding, Marshall. ProQuest to acquire Innovative Interfaces. January 2020. Smart Libraries Newsletter. In a move that further consolidates the library technology industry, Ex Libris has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Innovative Interfaces, Inc. from its private equity investors. Since December 2015, Ex Libris has been owned by ProQuest. In addition to its role as a major content provider to libraries, ProQuest is now responsible for a growing portfolio of library technology products, including major systems for resource management, content discovery, materials acquisition, reading list integration, and research services. While ProQuest faces major competition for each of its product categories, this move substantially strengthens its position in the sector and broadens its scope to include public libraries.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative’s New Business Strategy and Management Team. March 2017. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Innovative Interfaces, under the leadership of its new Chief Executive Officer James Tallman, has begun to execute major changes to strengthen its position in the library technology industry. Innovative has expanded its management team to include a new set of executives with proven abilities in other sectors to take the company forward. In its next phase, Innovative intends to make major investments to transform itself into an “enterprise class library solutions company,” adopting practices and methodologies that have proven successful in other technology-oriented business sectors. These investments will also support new product development initiatives.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative Interfaces acquires VTLS. July 2014. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Innovative Interfaces has acquired Blacksburg, VA-based VTLS as part of its strategic expansion strategy. This move follows the acquisition of Polaris, announced in April 2014. Both acquisitions were conducted in parallel, with each transition closing on a different schedule. The acquisition of VTLS significantly expands Innovative's international reach and brings a number of new technology products under its corporate umbrella. VTLS had been the longest standing company remaining under the ownership and management of its founder in the library technology industry. VTLS has been active since 1974, first as a department of the Newman Library of Virginia Tech University and since 1985, as an independent company.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative Interfaces acquires Polaris Library Systems. May 2014. Smart Libraries Newsletter. In a move that further consolidates the library automation industry, Innovative Interfaces, Inc. has purchased Polaris Library Systems. Innovative is one of the largest companies in the industry, with an international presence and customers from all types of libraries. The acquisition significantly strengthens its presence in the US public library arena because of Polaris’s success in winning the majority of municipal library procurements in recent years.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative Interfaces Absorbs SkyRiver and Withdraws Lawsuit Against OCLC. April 2013. Smart Libraries Newsletter. In a major shift in strategy reflecting a more collaborative style of its new ownership and management, Innovative interfaces has withdrawn the lawsuit it filed against OCLC in July 2010. SkyRiver Technologies, the sister company and lead plaintiff of the suit, has been absorbed into Innovative Interfaces, which will integrate the SkyRiver cataloging service into its product offerings.

Breeding, Marshall. VTLS Moves to Open Skies. March 2013. Smart Libraries Newsletter. VTLS launched a new product suite, called VTLS Open Skies, positioned as a library services platform. A major step for VTLS, this new strategy takes the most successful components in the current arsenal of technologies and products and rebuilds them into a comprehensive platform for the management and access to library resources.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative Interfaces Ownership Update. March 2013. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Smart Libraries Newsletter has previously reported on the majority acquisition of Innovative Interfaces, Inc. and SkyRiver Technologies by a pair of private equity firms, Huntsman Gay Global Capital and JMI Equity. In the initial transaction, company cofounder Jerry Kline sold the majority of the company, but retained a stake and served as the chairman of a newly constituted Board of Directors. In a subsequent transaction that closed the end of January 2013, Kline divested his remaining shares to the investment firms. Huntsman Gay and JI Equity now own 100 percent of Innovative Interfaces and SkyRiver. No information is publicly available regarding financial details such as the valuation of the company or the portion of shares retained by Kline following the initial transaction. Kline also has resigned from the company's board of directors, having divested his ownership and concluding his strategic and operational involvement.

Breeding, Marshall. New Executive Leadership at Innovative Interfaces. October 2012. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Innovative Interfaces, Inc. has appointed Kim Massana as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective upon the announcement on August 27, 2012. Jerry Kline continues as Chairman and Neil Block as President.

Breeding, Marshall. Innovative Interfaces Joins the Private Equity Club. April 2012. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Innovative Interfaces, one of the veteran companies of the library automation industry, has been one of the major holdouts in the wave of private equity investments that has reshaped the library automation industry over the last six years. The company has remained under the sole ownership of its co-founder Jerry Kline. That position now changes as a pair of private equity firms, Huntsman Gay Global Capital and JMI Equity have made strategic investments in Innovative Interfaces, Inc. and its sister company SkyRiver Technology Solutions. Following the transaction Kline retains partial equity in the company and will serve as the Chairman of the company's reconstituted Board of Directors and will continue involvement in the leadership of the company. Rich Lawson, co-founder and Managing Partner of Huntsman Gay serves as Vice Chairman and JMI Equity will hold a seat on the new Board. No changes in the executive management of Innovative or SkyRiver are planned.

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September 3, 2024. Kitchener Public Library upgrades discovery and event management with Vega LX. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that Kitchener Public Library successfully launched Vega Program for library events management and promotion and Vega Discover to help patrons uncover library collections with more relevant online search results.

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August 29, 2024. Innovative Mobile expands push notifications to include circulation notices. Innovative, Part of Clarivate, is readying to launch additional push notifications for Innovative Mobile, adding account and circulation notices to an already powerful feature. This will allow libraries to reach patrons directly on their mobile screens, keeping pace with today's world. The enhanced push notifications are in beta testing now and are expected to be available by the end of the year.

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August 22, 2024. Milton Public Library chooses Polaris and Vega Discover. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that the Milton Public Library in Ontario, Canada, has selected the Polaris ILS paired with Vega Discover to replace their current Sierra and Encore systems.

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August 15, 2024. Innovative delivers patron email notices for consortia through LX Starter. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that LX Starter is now available for library consortia to provide their member libraries with a tool to create and manage branded email notices for patrons, while providing the consortium central office with access to manage and support notices across the member libraries. LX Starter for consortia was developed in collaboration with eight library consortia using Sierra and Polaris who have tested the new functionality including Mid-Hudson Library System in New York, which was the first beta partner to launch the notices for their patrons.

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August 14, 2024. New York Public Library launches LX Starter. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that the New York Public Library is now using LX Starter to send email notices to cardholders. Part of the Vega Library Experience suite of solutions, LX Starter empowers to easily feature resources and events as part of their email notices. LX Starter was developed specifically for libraries to embrace the modern standards of email design and delivery, while providing valuable engagement metrics and data to showcase library impact.

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July 29, 2024. Minuteman Library Network selects Sierra for its shared integrated library system based on functionality and security. Innovative, part of Clarivaten announced that the Minuteman Library Network in Massachusetts has selected Sierra for a five-year renewal after evaluating available integrated library systems on the market through a formal Request for Proposal process.

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July 22, 2024. Well-being for Library Workers: Webinar Highlights. If so, or if you are not sure but you care about your personal wellness and the wellness of your community, watch a recording of the Well-being for Library Workers webinar hosted by Innovative, featuring international library consultant and former ALA President and recent ALA award winner Loida Garcia-Febo. In this session, Loida took a holistic approach to wellness, sharing vital information as well as tips and strategies to promote well-being in ourselves, in our libraries, and throughout our communities.

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July 22, 2024. Mid-Hudson Library System launches modern patron email notices through LX Starter for consortia. Innovative, part of Clarivate, announced that the Mid-Hudson Library System in New York is the first library consortium to launch LX Starter for consortia, providing all member patrons with modern, engaging email notices. LX Starter takes patron email notices to the next level, offering libraries a modern design experience that includes a selection of templates to appeal to different audiences. Included for all Sierra and Polaris libraries, LX Starter gives libraries an easy-to-use design tool and email circulation notices integrated with the ILS, without the need to purchase additional third-party services or integrations.

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July 11, 2024. Chester County Library System uses Vega Promote to connect with their community. Innovative, part of Clarivate, celebrates the Chester County Library System's use of Vega Promote to send library marketing emails to their community.

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July 8, 2024. Vega Promote releases fresh email templates and unsubscribe automations. Innovative, Part of Clarivate announced the most recent release of Vega Promote for email marketing which includes a refresh on the out-of-the box email templates adding over 100 professionally-designed, customizable email marketing templates. This release also includes a new, one-click unsubscribe email header automatically added to all emails to support sender reputation and compliance with new anti-spam guidelines.

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View All Innovative Interfaces, Inc. News Announcements

Dec 04, 2019 ProQuest Acquires Innovative Interfaces
In a move that further consolidates the library technology industry, Ex Libris has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Innovative Interfaces, Inc. from its private equity investors. Since December 2015, Ex Libris has been owned by ProQuest. In addition to its role as a major content provider to libraries, ProQuest is now responsible for a growing portfolio of library technology products, including major systems for resource management, content discovery, materials acquisition, reading list integration, and research services. While ProQuest faces major competition for each of its product categories, this move substantially strengthens its position in the sector and broadens its scope to include public libraries.

Jun 01, 2014 Innovative Interfaces acquires VTLS
Innovative Interfaces has acquired Blacksburg, VA-based VTLS as part of its strategic expansion strategy. This move follows the acquisition of Polaris, announced in April 2014. Both acquisitions were conducted in parallel, with each transition closing on a different schedule. The acquisition of VTLS significantly expands Innovative's international reach and brings a number of new technology products under its corporate umbrella. VTLS had been the longest standing company remaining under the ownership and management of its founder in the library technology industry. VTLS has been active since 1974, first as a department of the Newman Library of Virginia Tech University and since 1985, as an independent company.

Mar 31, 2014 Innovative Interfaces acquires Polaris Library Systems
Through a transaction that closed on March 31, 2014, ownership of Polaris changed hands from its Syracuse-based private investors to Innovative Interfaces, which is in turn owned by private equity investors, HGGC (formerly Huntsman Gay Global Capital) and JMI Equity.

Feb 01, 2013 Huntsman Gay Global Capital and JMI Equity purchase remaining shares of Innovative Interfaces
Huntsman Gay Global Capital and JMI Equity now fully own the Innovative Interfaces, Inc., having purchased the remaining shares from Innovative's founder, Jerry Kline. Kline also has resigned from Innovative's Board of Directors.

Aug 27, 2012 Kim Massana named as Chief Executive Officer
Innovative Interfaces announced that Mr. Kim Massana will join the executive ranks as Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Massana will be charged with expanding the Company's product and business development. The Lancer Group served as the executive search firm that recruited Massana to Innovative.

Aug 09, 2010 Neil Block becomes president of Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
The company today announced the promotion of Neil Block to the position of President of Innovative Interfaces. In his new role, Block will lead the day-to-day operations of the company including sales, marketing, product development, and customer service. As President, Block will report directly to Jerry Kline, Founder and Chairman of Innovative Interfaces. He began his new duties effective August 9th.

Oct 16, 2001 Jerry Kline purchases the outstanding shares of the company from co-founder Steve Silberstein
Innovative Interfaces announced that Jerry Kline, co-founder and CEO, has reached an agreement to purchase the outstanding shares of the company from co-founder Steve Silberstein. Upon closing of the transaction, which is expected by the end of the year, Kline will assume full ownership of the company.

Apr 30, 1997 Innovative acquires SLS
From Library Systems Newsletter: Innovative Interfaces, Inc., has purchased SLS Information Systems of Great Britain. SLS has over 700 installations in Europe, including more than 50 in academic libraries. Its primary product, known as "Libertas," runs on Digital AXP computers using OpenVMS as the operating system and FORTRAN and "C" as the programming languages. The DBMS is proprietary. SLS was owned by 16 UK universities. Innovative purchased all of the outstanding stock for cash. The deal includes subsidiaries in Scandinavia (Stockholm) and Spain (Madrid). SLS currently has a staff of 46 people.

Oct 15, 1992 Bob Walton Joins Innovative Interfaces Inc. as Executive Vice President
From Library Systems Newsletter: Bob Walton will join the management team of Innovative as Executive Vice President. As Executive Vice President, Walton will serve as Innovative's Chief Financial Officer, including responsibility for Marketing, Sales and Administration.

1978 Innovative Interfaces, Inc. founded by Jerry Kline and Steve Silberstein

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2023 Innovative Interfaces, Inc. Accomplishments Narrative

Innovative Focus Areas in 2023

In an era where technology constantly redefines user expectations, Innovative, part of Clarivate, stands at the forefront, empowering public libraries to meet the evolving needs of their communities. Just as libraries adapt their services to cater to diverse requirements, our commitment to advancing existing products and introducing leading-edge solutions aligns with the dynamic needs of public libraries.

While we continue to develop and innovate our integrated library systems as the foundations of library operations, we increasingly see that libraries are investing in the extension of the ILS to meet new needs in communications, marketing, programming, and library experience.

At Innovative, we are leveraging the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to ensure that libraries provide a consistently superior, modern user experience for today’s patrons. Our software solutions are purposefully designed to cater to the increasingly sophisticated needs of the library community, fostering a user-friendly, intuitive and seamless library experience for all – from library staff and volunteers to patrons, visitors, and donors.

Our Commitment to Library Success

Our commitment to library success starts with our dedication to listening and collaborating with libraries. The library-led Innovative Users Group, with 700+ members from around the world, returned to an in-person annual conference, creating an exciting forum to connect with our libraries and listen gain insights into their evolving needs.

We pride ourselves on collaborative initiatives such as our development partner, beta partner, and strategic partners programs, all of which ensure libraries actively shape our roadmaps and product development. We leverage the expertise of our global community across 64 countries and 2,700 library systems to fine tune our solutions to meet the real needs of real libraries.

In 2023, we transitioned our Idea Lab program to Idea Exchange, the same user-driven enhancements platform as Ex Libris. More than 2,000 user submissions were created on Idea Lab which led to our development of over 200 product enhancements based on customer feedback, reflecting our responsiveness to library needs. We look forward to the same level of collaboration on Idea Exchange.

New Library Partnerships

When forging new relationships with libraries, our objective is clear: to enable and empower libraries to realize their vision and live out their daily mission. Recent successful partnerships underscore our focus on customer experience, community engagement, and innovation.

When Allen County Public Library was seeking a new solution for their library, they looked at ILS functionality and also integrations, discovery, and marketing requirements. ACPL selected the Polaris ILS, Vega Discover, Innovative Mobile, and Vega Promote Web. ACPL selected us for our functional criteria and our demonstrable commitment to implementation experience, training, and ongoing customer support structure for delivering exceptional service.

North Vancouver District Public Library published an RFP in March 2023 looking for a library services platform delivered by SaaS, an integrated discovery layer, and a website solution that could all provide a seamless and integrated user experience. A successful product would support NVDPL’s growing offsite and outreach initiatives, provide a platform that works for all levels of staff, feature a modern and intuitive interface, and would likely become the NVDPL’s standard product for the foreseeable future. NVDPL selected the Polaris ILS, Vega Discover, Vega Promote, Vega Promote Web, and Vega Program.

The Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC) consists of 38 public libraries with a shared goal of offering a higher quality of library services to residents within their service area through their combined efforts. They released an RFP in October for an integrated library system with hosting services that also included functional requirements for discovery, library marketing, event management, a library app, integrations, telephone notifications, development opportunities, security certifications, and accessibility. Based on their requirements, LMxAC selected the Polaris ILS, Vega Discover, Vega Promote, and Vega Program.

The Central Coast Council in Wyong, New South Wales, Australia released a Request for Tender in August 2023 looking for a library management system that would provide value in three main functions: improved online public access catalogue, improved security and auditing, and improved staff user interface and workflows. They selected the Polaris ILS and Vega Discover, becoming the second library in Australia to select Polaris.

The National Library Board of Singapore, renowned for its innovative approach, successfully completed a nearly 16-month implementation of the Polaris ILS and Vega Discover in November, with plans for on-going, long-term collaboration.

Our notable new partnerships in 2023 include: Maricopa County Library District, Oldham County Public Library, Franklin Township Public Library, Ypsilanti District Library, Navajo County Library, Friendswood Public Library, Pickering Public Library, and Palm Desert Library, as well as the aforementioned Allen County Public Library, North Vancouver District Public Library, Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC), and Central Coast Council.

Delivering Innovative Solutions

With a history and experience spanning over 40 years, our commitment to providing best-in-class solutions for libraries remains unwavering. Throughout the past year, we have demonstrated our ongoing commitment to library success and innovative new technology through regular development and releases across our product portfolio.

Polaris - Polaris had a banner year, with the National Library Board of Singapore launching Polaris and Vega Discover. Our two releases, Polaris 7.4 & 7.5, included a new workflow for damaged items, an expansion of pickup locations, support for age-related loan policies, and many new features and enhancements for the Polaris Leap web application. The cloud-based web application has become the primary way many library staff interact with Polaris, giving them on-the-go access to the functionality they need.

Sierra – In 2023, we published Sierra 6.0 and Sierra 6.1. New features included the ability to harvest Sierra data in MARCXML via OAI-PMH, along with improvements to accessibility for staff members, support for SAML authentication, support for staff multifactor authentication and support for RapidILL.

Mobile Worklists – Mobile Worklists, the mobile staff app for Sierra libraries, added a long-awaited feature, the ability to read RFID tags. Mobile Worklists continues to delight libraries, winning its eighth platinum award in the 2024 Modern Library Awards.

LX Starter – With over 7 million emails sent via LX Starter in 2023, libraries have clearly embraced the email notification tool for Sierra and Polaris. LX Starter shares many of the features and design elements of Vega Promote, and these visually rich emails are a reminder to patrons that their library offers the same level of sophistication that patrons have come to expect in their commercial online experiences.

Vega Discover – Vega Discover added over 40 new features and enhancements during 2023 including some significant releases. Key releases include the new homepage design tool and showcase integrations on the Discover catalog homepage, new eContent vendor integrations for circulation as well as the ability for staff to choose to automatically import metadata records from eContent vendors, a new grid layout for viewing cover images only in search results, additional translations support, and additional currency support. Beta testing also began for OAI-PMH digital repository harvesting in Vega Discover, as well as for the new kids catalog and custom themed catalogs, where libraries can design a unique homepage experience and display resources scoped to a specific category or location.

Innovative Mobile - The Innovative Mobile patron mobile app expanded its reach in 2023, offering a mobile experience that offers both native mobile features and integration with Vega Discover, for libraries to have a cohesive presence across multiple online entry points. Innovative Mobile still offers strong support for family accounts and a seamless experience for patrons to access electronic materials directly from the app.

Vega Promote – The Vega Promote email marketing solution continued to spread its reach in 2023. In keeping with advancing technology, Promote now offers built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance for message composition. Additional changes in the past year include improved support for audience segmenting and error handling, additional email templates, and extended bounceback handling. Vega Promote continues to offer drag-and-drop designs and integration with Vega Discover.

Vega Promote Web – Introduced in 2023, Vega Promote Web gives libraries the freedom to build their library website the way they dreamed it. Promote Web is an easy-to-use website builder tool with library-specific templates, an intuitive user interface, and built-in integrations. The content management system also makes it easy to maintain and update the site as needed. Like Vega Promote and LX Starter, Vega Promote Web offers a built-in image library, AI assistance, and drag-and-drop design ability so that library staff can easily maintain and update the content on their website.

Vega Program – Vega Program, our room booking and event management tool, introduced a new calendar view this past year, along with an expansion of configuration options requested by libraries, including branch-specific permissions, support for hybrid in-person and remote events and offline payment tracking. While Vega Program is designed to work closely with Sierra, Polaris, and other Vega LX modules, it can also integrate with more than 10 different integrated library systems (ILS) for patron identification. Multiple consortia are currently implementing Vega Program, and the first adoption by a non-Innovative ILS library was Hastings Public Library in Nebraska in 2023.

Resource Sharing - INN-Reach, our resource sharing solution, continues to be a trusted solution for libraries with an exceptional user experience for communities. It received platinum recognition from users through the Modern Library Awards, and Maricopa County Library District selected INN-Reach to start a new resource sharing consortium, MAX, across 15 unique library systems. In the past year, we initiated a significant INN-Reach modernization project with multiple technology upgrades.

Winning Awards

Our innovative solutions consistently receive global recognition. Three of our solutions – Vega Discover, Innovative Resource Sharing (INN-Reach), and Mobile Worklists – secured platinum awards in the 2024 Modern Library Awards. Polaris ILS also received a gold award, reflecting our commitment to excellence.

Vega Discover – In its third year of entry, Discover received its third consecutive platinum award. One judge wrote, “The Vega team’s dedication to this product is evident through their ongoing commitment to improvement post-launch. They have been highly responsive to user feedback, consistently delivering biweekly updates with transparent and concise communication. We believe Vega represents the future of III, and we’re delighted to be a part of this thriving community.”

INN-Reach -- Innovative Resource Sharing (INN-Reach) also won platinum distinction. One judge offered the following: “The problem with forming local inter-library loan networks between disparate ILS systems has always been efficient communication between libraries for searching and requesting. INN-Reach provides a highly scalable solution to this problem, and III/Clarivate provides the best support service I have seen from a vendor in my 25 years of experience.”

Mobile Worklists -- Mobile Worklists continues to delight users, winning the platinum award, up from gold distinction the previous year. A judge remarked, “Adding Mobile Worklists to our suite of III products allowed me to reinvent our weeding process for librarians. The functionality of scanning barcodes on an iPod and importing them to Create Lists cut down on repetitive motions, decreased our turnaround time for removing items from the catalog and allowed staff to work in the stacks, also reducing the need to touch items multiple times to remove them from the system. I’m a fan for sure.”

Polaris ILS – The Polaris ILS (including the Polaris Leap web application) received the gold award this year. Said one judge, “We switched from Sirsi 3 years ago - every day we are thankful to have Polaris!”

Our journey of innovation and commitment to library success propels us forward, empowering libraries to navigate the ever-evolving technological landscape. We look forward to continued collaboration and success in shaping the future of library services.

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