The Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) will begin transitioning to a new catalog system in early May, a move aimed at improving how patrons search for and access materials.

Library officials say the upgrade is designed to make browsing easier for users while also enhancing staff efficiency. However, the transition will bring several temporary service disruptions between April 30 and May 5.

During that period, patrons will not be able to log in to their “My Account” feature, meaning holds cannot be placed, bills cannot be paid, and purchase or interlibrary loan requests will be unavailable.

Despite the outage, library services will continue in a limited capacity. Patrons will still be able to check out physical materials, but they must bring their library card, as staff will not be able to look up accounts in the system.

HEPL will also pause check-ins and renewals during the transition week. To accommodate this, all due dates will be extended until at least May 13. Library officials ask patrons to hold on to borrowed materials until normal operations resume.

Card renewals will also be temporarily unavailable, though any cards set to expire during that week will automatically be extended.

Digital services will remain fully accessible throughout the transition. Patrons can continue to use platforms such as Libby and Hoopla, along with the library’s online databases, without interruption.

When the new system goes live on May 6, patrons will notice one immediate change: account PINs will reset to the four-digit birth year associated with their account, part of an updated security protocol.

Library officials note that transferring user accounts and catalog data is a complex process requiring a temporary pause in some services to ensure accuracy. They also acknowledge there may be a learning curve for both staff and patrons as the new system is rolled out.

HEPL encourages patrons to plan ahead for the brief disruption and says staff will be available to answer questions during and after the transition.