The Library Corporation is privately owned by company founder Annette Harwood Murphy

Breeding, Marshall. Executive Changes at The Library Corporation. July 2016. Smart Libraries Newsletter. The Library Corporation has recently made changes in its executive team. Company co-founder Annette Harwood Murphy continues as President and Chief Executive Officer. Given the company's founding in 1974, Murphy ranks as the longest serving executive in the library automation industry. The company has made several promotions from within its ranks to fill other top executive positions.

Breeding, Marshall. The Library Corporation Works Toward a New ILS Platform. December 2008. Smart Libraries Newsletter. The Library Corporation announced that it is developing a new integrated library system called LS2. This product will ultimately become TLC’s strategic automation product, though it will continue to develop and support both of its existing ILS products indefinitely. The initial module of the system, the LS2 PAC, has been completed and has been implemented by the Shenandoah County Library System in Virginia.

Breeding, Marshall. TLC strikes exclusive deal with Aquabrowser. June 2005. Smart Libraries Newsletter.

Breeding, Marshall. AquaBrowser dives into ILS Technology. April 2005. Smart Libraries Newsletter. Medialab Solutions, B.V, an Amsterdam-based software development company, has developed a search environment called AquaBrowser that takes quite a different approach. As with a standard catalog, a search session begins by typing search terms. In addition to the list of results returned by a conventional online catalog search, AquaBrowser Library presents an interface designed to help the searcher pinpoint material that matches their investigation topic.

Breeding, Marshall. The Library Corporation acquires CARL Corporation. September 2000. Information Today. The consolidation of the library automation marketplace continues with the acquisition of CARL Corp. by The Library Corporation (TLC). In this development, TLC expands its presence from small and medium-sized libraries to the very largest libraries and library consortia. CARL Corp. will be wholly owned by TLC, though its name will continue to be used in the combined company. The marketing, sales, support, and development of CARL's products and services will continue largely unchanged from its Denver facilities.

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August 3, 2024. Ackley Public Library transitions to The Library Corporation with Community Foundation Grant. The Library Corporation announced Ackley Public Library's transition to Library.Solution from Follett Destiny, by joining the NILC (North Iowa Libraries Collaborating) consortia. This move was made possible by a generous grant from the Ackley Community Foundation. This significant upgrade aims to enhance both staff operations and patron services, aligning the library's resources with the needs of the community.

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June 14, 2024. The Library Corporation invites ALA attendees to booth #1025. The Library Corporation welcomes all American Library Association (ALA) conference attendees to visit Booth #1025 to explore cutting-edge integrated library systems (ILS) and metadata services tailored to libraries' unique needs. Just a few steps away, TLC's partners at Tech Logic will be on hand to discuss their specialized RFID and AMH solutions. The teams of experts will be available from June 28 to July 1 in San Diego, CA.

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May 31, 2024. TLC expands ITS.MARC resources with 20th contributor, reaches 7.6 million records. The Library Corporation announced a significant milestone in its ITS.MARC contributors initiative. Of the 84+ million records readily available on ITS.MARC, TLC now boasts an impressive collection of over 7.6 million records now contributed directly from library customers.

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May 6, 2024. Chattahoochee Valley Libraries elevate patron experience with transition to TLC Library.Solution. Chattahoochee Valley Libraries has successfully transitioned from Polaris to Library.Solution with The Library Corporation, marking a significant enhancement to library services and patron experiences across the Chattahoochee Valley region.

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February 6, 2024. CLCD and The Library Corporation forge innovative partnership to empower school districts with Class-Shelf. CLCD, a leading provider of comprehensive children's literature resources, announced a strategic partnership with The Library Corporation. This innovative collaboration marks a pivotal moment, with the shared goal of enhancing integration and expanding access to CLCD's cutting-edge products, including the revolutionary Class-Shelf Plus.

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January 30, 2024. TeachingBooks and The Library Corporation announce new collaboration offering easy access to engaging PreK-12 literature resources. TeachingBooks and The Library Corporation announced a collaboration to provide one-click access to a collection of book-specific resources designed to enrich the reading experience, directly from the school library catalog. Students and teachers using TLC's LS2 PAC or LS2 Kids catalogs, within Library.Solution for Schools, can now easily discover and instantly use TeachingBooks' vast and affordable digital collection of resources that encourage engagement and connection to more than 90,000 books for children and young adults.

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January 12, 2024. TLC's ITS.MARC Cataloging Service receives another Platinum Award. The Library Corporation received another platinum distinction for ITS.MARC in LibraryWorks' tenth annual Modern Library Awards. With access to over 82.9 million records, including both bibliographic and authority records, TLC's online copy cataloging has provided a noteworthy alternative to records provided directly from the book vendor.

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January 12, 2024. TLC honored with second Platinum Award for School-Focused Integrated Library System. The Library Corporation received a multiyear platinum distinction in LibraryWorks' tenth annual Modern Library Awards for Library.Solution for Schools. TLC is chiefly honored to receive two perfect scores. The schools-focused integrated library system (ILS) stands out not only for its functionality, but also and especially for the unmatched quality of service delivered by TLC.

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October 9, 2023. TLC Celebrates 50 Years in Libraries. Founded in 1974, The Library Corporation celebrates 50 years in business in 2024! TLC has remained a beacon of excellence in library technology since it was founded by the family that still owns and operates the company today. To mark this monumental milestone and honor the library professionals who contributed through the years, TLC will host multiple celebrations throughout the year. As a woman-owned, privately held company, TLC has remained true to its values of providing cutting-edge solutions, while upholding patron privacy and integrity. Being privately held ensures that TLC's focus is always on the needs of libraries and the communities they serve.

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October 6, 2023. Latest CARL.Solution release introduces much-anticipated features. The Library Corporation announced the latest release of the CARL.Solution integrated library system. Based directly on their feedback, customers will enjoy a redesigned interface in CARL.Connect Staff, new Holds Management functionality, and the addition of PayPal as an eCommerce option for CARL.Connect Discovery Desktop and Mobile. Development also focused on updates to existing functionality and emerging needs and priorities.

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View All The Library Corporation News Announcements

Feb 2007 Ingenta acquires Vista International

Apr 01, 2005 The Library Corporation acquires TechLogic
The Library Corporation acquired majority stock shares of Tech Logic Corporation of White Bear Lake, MN. In doing so, TLC immediately assumes responsibility for the management of Tech Logic. Tech Logic founders Mark and Linda Frich remain stockholders while continuing their active participation in the operations of the company.

Jul 03, 2000 The Library Corporation acquires Carl Corporation from WardShaw
The Library Corporation acquired The CARL Corporation, a leading developer of automation solutions for all types of libraries. CARL is the creator of the CARL System, which is used in over 1,000 libraries of different types at 37 sites.

Mar 2000 ingenta acquires UnCover Company from Ward Shaw
ingenta, a global research gateway, has announced that it has merged with UnCover, an article access and document delivery provider to the U.S. academic market. Under the terms of the agreement, ingenta has purchased 100 percent of UnCover's issued stock, and Ward Shaw, chairman of UnCover, will join ingenta's board.

Jan 1999 Ward Shaw purchases Carl Corporation and the Uncover Company
The CARL and Uncover companies were sold in late January to Ward Shaw, CARL founder and chairman of the board.

1997 Tech Logic founded by Mark Frich and Bob Rohlf
Mark Frich and Bob Rohlf, former CEO of Hennepin County (MN) Library, founded Tech Logic in 1997, by combining Mark's extraordinary engineering skills and Bob's legendary library leadership to resolve the laborious challenges associated with manually checking in and sorting library materials.

1996 Annette Harwood Murphy becomes Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Library Corporation
Following the exit of co-founder Brower Murphy, Annette Harwood Murphy takes full leadership of the Library Corporation as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Aug 09, 1995 Knight-Ridder Information acquires CARL Corporation and The UnCover Company
The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries, the CARL Corporation, Blackwell Limited and Knight-Ridder Information, Inc. announced on August 9, 1995 that agreements have been reached leading to the sale of the CARL Corporation and The UnCover Company to Knight-Ridder Information, Inc. of Mountain View, California.

Jun 1993 UnCover Company formed as a joint venture of Carl Systems and B.H. Blackwell
The UnCover Company formed in 1993 to advance CARL's UnCover document delivery project and has grown to become a major online information and document supply service. Blackwell and Readmore, a Blackwell company, will market Uncover internationally and CARL Systems will to market uncover as an integral part of its library management system.

1988 The CARL Corporation, incorporated in 1988 as for-profit spin-off of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries

1988 Uncover article request and document delivery service launched by Carl Systems, Inc.

1987 The Library Corporation launches The Intelligent Catalog
The Intelligent Catalog was the first multi-media CD-ROM online catalog.

Jun 1985 Eyring Research Institute, Inc. founds Eyring Library Systems to market Carl
The Eyring Research Institute, Inc., founded another library automation-oriented company, Eyring Library Systems. The new company will market the CARL system developed by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. Eyring Research Institute also owns Dynix.

1985 TLC launches BiblioFile
The Library Corporation offers BiblioFile Cataloging as a CD-ROM based product for cataloging that included storage of MARC records.

1982 Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries develops the CarlSystem
In 1982, the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries developed the CARL integrated library system

1974 MARC Applied Research subsequently known as The Library Corporation, founded by Brower Murphy and Annette Murphy
One of the company's earliest products included its service to provide MARCFICHE to libraries.

2023 The Library Corporation Accomplishments Narrative

The Library Corporation (TLC) continues its legacy as a woman-owned privately held organization, celebrating 50 years in 2024.

Operational Efficiency

Over the past year, TLC has undergone a transformative journey aimed at enhancing our operational efficiency and finding new ways to elevate the industry standard of customer service. Drawing inspiration from our own software’s philosophy of streamlining and automating processes, we have meticulously revamped our internal operations.

One significant change involved implementing a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM), accounting, and support ticketing system, empowering TLC to manage customer interactions with heightened security, advanced analytics, and improved communication capabilities — all while upholding our hallmark of personalized service.

Additionally, we strategically realigned some of our product focus, ensuring that each department is finely attuned to the unique needs and challenges across each of our specialized industries. With two distinct integrated library systems for public libraries (Library•Solution and CARL•Solution) and one specialized for school libraries (Library•Solution for Schools), TLC’s strategic alignment has fostered increased collaboration and seamless internal information sharing, enhancing overall product development. This approach has heightened TLC’s proactive development to meet emerging demands across the nation regarding collection development and book reconsiderations, as well as providing critical and timely data analysis to advanced library operations.

Reports Dashboards & Business Intelligence for Libraries

TLC prides itself on designing innovative and customer-centric solutions. In response to the evolving needs of librarians, TLC released a first-of-its-kind business intelligence report dashboard for library staff using LS2 Reports in Library•Solution and Library•Solution for Schools. The streamlined dashboard delivers a snapshot of comprehensive, real-time, and actionable data, empowering librarians to excel in their roles and drive transformative change within their institutions. This data dashboard was built on the existing canned reports already available in the solutions, and TLC continued to add more reporting options throughout the year based directly on customer requirements.

The same foundation that powers LS2 Reports business intelligence, IBM’s Cognos Analytics, was also released as an initial version to customers using CARL•Solution. Prior to and in addition to this integration, CARL•Solution reports capabilities surpassed many report options available on the market, allowing libraries direct access to query the database. Adding IBM Cognos Analytics for business intelligence will allow CARL•Solution customers even more power and data insights.

Strengthened Partnerships

Throughout the year, TLC strengthened existing partnerships with many partners, including Mackin, Solus, Tech Logic, and Unite Against Book Bans, while partnering with new organizations, including TeachingBooks and Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD).

• TLC’s LS2 PAC remains the only library catalog with complete and seamless integration with Mackin (https://help.mackin.com/ils-integration-partnerships/).
• In addition to TLC•Go!, the library mobile app, TLC has partnered with Solus once again to bring TLC•Engage Spaces to the market for room reservation and event management.
• TLC has expanded its RFID and Shelf Management offerings, in partnership with its Tech Logic subsidiary. The two organizations partnered to bring RFID into Rochester City School Districts, where library staff can now inventory their entire collection with the sweep of the circTRAK inventory wand.
• TLC was the first (and remains the only) ILS vendor sponsoring the Unite Against Book Bans sub-division of the American Library Association (ALA).
• TLC introduces the first PAC integration with TeachingBooks’ comprehensive resource database for book-driven teaching resources.
• TLC aligns with CLCD for Class-Shelf Plus to empower districts to manage classroom collections.

Data Migrations & New Customers

In 2023, TLC migrated an additional 49 customers to the award-winning TLC•Cloud Services, bringing the percentage of TLC-hosted customers now in the cloud to 68% of Library•Solution customers and 94% of CARL•Solution customer. 12 more customers have already committed to moving to TLC•Cloud Services in 2024.

TLC also upgraded an additional 46 customers from Library•Solution Version 4.x to the next generation Version 5.x.

TLC welcomed the following new customers:

• LaPorte County Public Library, Indiana (CARL•Solution)
• Eastwick College, New Jersey (Library•Solution)
• Pickens County Library, South Carolina (Library•Solution)
• Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, New York (Library•Solution for Schools)
• Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, Georgia (Library•Solution)
• Wichita Falls Public Library, Texas (Library•Solution)
• Ackley Public Library, Iowa (Library•Solution - joined an existing customer consortia)
• Lawrenceville School, New Jersey (Library•Solution for Schools)
• Nappanee Public Library, Indiana (Library•Solution)

TLC developed the following major software releases, including some minor patches:

• Library•Solution
  • v5.7.1 released January 2023
  • v5.7.2 released March 2023
  • v5.7.3 released May 2023
  • v5.7.4 released November 2023
• Library•Solution for Schools
  • v5.7.1 released January 2023
  • v5.7.2 released March 2023
  • v5.7.3 released May 2023
  • v5.7.4 released November 2023
• CARL•Solution
  • CARL•X v9.7.3
  • CARL•Connect Staff v1.6.9
  • CARL•Connect Discovery v3.6.7
  • CARL•APIs v2.0.3
  • CARL•X v9.7.5
  • CARL•Connect Staff v1.7
  • CARL•Connect Discovery v3.6.8
  • CARL•APIs v2.0.4
• Online Selection & Acquisition (OSA)
  • v3.3.1 released April 2023

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