10 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Public Library’s Digital Future

Public libraries are evolving rapidly, and expectations from both local councils and communities continue to grow.. Councils want clear evidence that their libraries deliver meaningful outcomes for ratepayers, while patrons expect modern digital experiences that are easy to access and use.

Is Free Library Software Really Free in 2026? What Special Libraries Need to Know Before Choosing a System

In 2020, many special libraries were still operating primarily on-site. Digital collections existed, but they were often small or siloed, and often loosely connected to wider organizational systems.

5 Library System Features You Could Be Using (But You Probably Aren’t)

Today, most special libraries and archives aren’t taking full advantage of their current library management systems. Not because the tools aren’t there, but because it’s time consuming to explore everything between daily tasks like urgent research requests, maintaining compliance, or supporting internal projects.

Softlink IC: Your 2025 Wrapped

This year wasn’t just about software updates or company events; it was about our customers navigating digital change with our products. Across the sectors, we noticed the main benefits our systems provided were – time-saved, manual work reduction, and improvement in both resource discoverability and reporting strength. These helped deliver clearer outcomes to our customers’ organizations for 2025.

Reflecting on ANZTLA 2025: Stories Rooted in the Past, Shaping the Future of Theological & Special Libraries

Softlink IC was proud to participate in the 39th ANZTLA Conference, held 26-29 November 2025 at The Women’s College, University of Queensland. This year’s theme, “Echoes of the past … creating stories for the future,” deeply resonated with our mission to support theological and special libraries in preserving knowledge and guiding discovery through innovation.

Highlights from Our 2025 User Group Meetings in Brisbane, Melbourne & Wellington

Each year, we bring our community together through our User Group Meetings (UGMs) – one of our favourite ways to connect with customers, share updates, and celebrate the innovation happening in libraries. In October 2025, the Softlink IC team hosted UGMs across Brisbane, Melbourne, and Wellington, bringing together professionals from every sector to learn, collaborate, and discuss what’s next for Liberty Digital and illumin.

Libraries Lead the Way: Inside Softlink IC’s AI Library Challenge

Could AI help solve everyday library challenges? That’s the question Softlink IC posed during this year’s User Group Meetings (UGMs) – and the results were surprising.

Unlocking the Hidden Value in Your Library Collection

As a law or government librarian, your collection is one of your greatest assets – second only to your expertise and knowledge. But even the most carefully curated resources can sit underutilized if your users and stakeholders don’t know they exist. While many libraries spend significant budgets on collections, the real value comes when those resources are actively used to inform research, support decisions, and drive your organization’s goals.

Charting the Future of Libraries: Highlights from ABR 2025 in Oradea

Earlier this month, Softlink Information Centres was proud to attend the 35th National Conference of the Romanian Library Association (ABR 2025) in beautiful Oradea, Romania. Hosted in collaboration with Softlink Central Europe, the University of Oradea, and the newly modernized “Gheorghe Șincai” Bihor County Library, this year’s conference reflected a renewed energy and vision for libraries in the digital age.

Libraries Leading Change: The Greater Whitsunday Alliance Crescendo Event

This week, the Greater Whitsunday Alliance Crescendo event brought together library leaders and system partners in Mackay, Queensland for a collaborative discussion on the evolving needs of regional libraries.

Why You Should Always Encourage Patrons to Explore Digital Archives First

In today’s fast-paced digital world, it’s essential for corporate, legal, government, and special libraries to encourage teams and stakeholders to explore digital archives first for smarter, more secure, and more efficient research. With solutions like Liberty Digital, you can collect, preserve, and provide long-term access to digitized or born-digital materials, making critical information available anytime, anywhere. Whether it’s case files, reports, policy papers, or multimedia records, digital archives offer a searchable, organized alternative to physical files – saving time and supporting better discovery. Promoting these resources early helps staff find what they need faster, reduces wear on physical collections, and meets modern expectations for on-demand access and compliance.

Effective Library Management for Health Libraries – A Guide to Increasing Usage

Your health library’s homepage is often the first point of access for clinicians, researchers, or students, and a strong digital presence is essential. Without effective visibility, even your most valuable digital resources can go unnoticed. Here’s how Softlink’s effective library management strategies can help your library shine.

It’s Time to Change Your Integrated Library System to Liberty Digital (If You Haven’t Already)

Deciding to change your Integrated Library System (ILS) is a significant decision and many library professionals often wrestle with the question,
“Is it time to move on from our current ILS?”
If you’re dealing with inflexible legacy systems, limited support, or rising hidden costs, it might be. Here are some of the warning signs:

Ensure Security and Privacy in Your Library System

In today’s digital age, security and privacy in library systems are paramount. This guide gives an overview of key security practices in libraries and information centers and how they can safeguard their data and resources.

5 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Library This Year

Solo librarians juggle multiple roles, balancing marketing, support, research, and library
management.

The Solo Librarian’s Secret Weapon: How to Boost Library Engagement

Solo librarians juggle multiple roles, balancing marketing, support, research, and library management. While balancing all of this, how can you transform your library into a dynamic, engaging hub? This blog recaps some of the practical strategies we covered in a recent webinar that will make your library irresistible.

Tidy Up Your Library: 7 Simple Steps for a Clean Catalog

Over time, even the best-maintained systems can benefit from a little spring cleaning. Tidying up your library management system (LMS) is a great way to keep things in top shape. While data cleanup might sound like a big task, it’s easier than you think – and crucial for ensuring your system runs efficiently.

Power Up Your Library with These 6 Tools: The Ultimate AI Toolkit for Librarians

The AI revolution isn’t just knocking on the library door—it’s already browsing the shelves! More and more, librarians are uncovering cutting-edge ways to harness AI’s transformative power. From managing vast information resources to assisting patrons with precision, AI tools are redefining library operations. Ready to level up your library’s game? Let’s explore some of the game-changing AI tools we’ve found that every forward-thinking librarian should have in their toolkit.

Lights, Camera, Library! Crafting an Engaging Promo Video

Ever thought about giving your library the Hollywood treatment? A short, snappy video could be just the thing to spark curiosity and draw in new faces. In just 1-2 minutes, you could showcase what makes your library special. Ready to roll? Here’s a short guide to putting your library in the spotlight.

5 Things You Didn’t Know Your Library System Could Do

Integrated Library Systems (ILS) have come a long way and our ILS, Liberty, is at the forefront of this evolution. Over the years, Liberty has introduced many innovative features designed to make managing your library’s resources easier and more efficient.

5 Essential Strategies to Fortify Your Data Security – Insights From Softlink Information Centers

During a time when digital threats loom larger than ever, securing sensitive information has become paramount for organizations across the globe. Recent high-profile data breaches have only highlighted the urgency of this mission, prompting a surge in searches for robust data security solutions.

Meet Us in London: Softlink IC at the CILIP Supplier Showcase, May 1st 2024

Softlink Information Centers (Softlink IC) is delighted to share that we will be at the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Supplier Showcase. Scheduled for 1 May 2024, this one-day event will take place at 113 Chancery Lane, London. On the day, attendees can meet with leading suppliers of library management solutions in a non-sales environment. They will have the opportunity to experience product demonstrations, discuss their specific needs, and build connections with suppliers.

Liberty Link: The Key to a 24/7 Library in Your Pocket

In today’s digital era, libraries are adapting to new technologies to enhance their services and user engagement. Softlink IC’s mobile app Liberty Link is designed to provide easy access to your Liberty catalog directly from your mobile device.

Navigating the Evolving Library Landscape with Alex the Alpaca

In today’s digital age, libraries are evolving to meet the changing needs of their users. With the integration of digital and physical collections, libraries can unlock new opportunities to enhance user experiences and increase the usage of their collections. So, what should you be doing to stay current with the evolving library landscape?

Revolutionizing Law Libraries – Essential Features of Library Management Tools

In the ever-evolving landscape of legal libraries, the integration of advanced library management software is emerging as a crucial element in modernizing these knowledge hubs. With legal professionals grappling with increasingly complex research demands, selecting the right Integrated Library System (ILS) is becoming essential. This blog explores seven key features of an ideal law library management system.

New Year, New Goals – 5 new year’s resolutions for your library to start 2024 with a bang!

As the new year unfolds, it’s a great time for libraries to set resolutions for the new year and maximize opportunities for innovation and growth. The always changing landscape of information management calls for strategic goal setting.

This blog is a short recap of our recent webinar which delivered five possible resolutions for the new year. And as a bonus, we not only provide 5 ways to start 2024 with a bang, but we’ll also share some essential insider tips to ensure their effective implementation, keeping you on course to achieve your goals.

Embrace the Festive Spirit: Preparing Your Library System for the Holidays

Holiday season – a time of joy and cheer, also poses unique challenges to libraries. With closures and extended shutdowns, it becomes crucial to keep services running smoothly and patrons informed. How, you ask? Here are our top 5 tips!

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Law Firms: Exploring Future Trends

Discover how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing law firms and reshaping the legal landscape. From streamlining operations to providing innovative client solutions, AI is becoming an integral part of the legal sector. Dive into our blog post to explore its impact and uncover valuable resources to stay up to date with AI in your law firm.

Discovering Your Ideal ILMS: Key Factors to Consider

In today’s digital age, libraries are constantly looking for ways to enhance their efficiency and productivity. One solution that is a proven winner is the adoption of an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS).

Exploring Trends in Law Libraries for 2023 – Embracing Innovation and Inclusion

As the legal landscape continues to evolve, law libraries play a vital role in providing essential resources and services to legal professionals and researchers. In 2023, several emerging trends are shaping the field of law libraries, transforming the way they operate. This blog post will delve into five key trends that are driving innovation and inclusivity in law libraries.

Scanning for Success: How Using QR Codes Can Transform your Library

Are you ready to bring your library to the next level? Look no further than QR codes! As we embrace the digital age, libraries are constantly exploring innovative ways to showcase their services and collections to patrons. These nifty little squares can instantly connect patrons to a wealth of information about the library or knowledge center, events, collections, and so much more – all with a simple scan from their smartphone.

Lift Your Library to New Heights: 5 Reasons to Use Library Management Systems

Library Management System (LMS) software is an effective solution to help companies manage their corporate content with ease, granting access to a diverse collection of research material, eBooks, manuals, journals, documents, and books. But why should businesses purchase LMS software? This blog will provide you with five great reasons why an LMS can be beneficial for organizations of any size!

7 Tips for Success in Your 1-person Library

When you’re running a 1-person library, there are many strategies you can employ to ensure success. From organizing and managing your time, to leveraging technology, and getting creative with marketing, there’s a lot to consider. These tips are from a recent webinar we offered, and in this blog, we’ll be sharing those 7 tips to help you out:

Liberty’s Dashboard: Uncovering Hidden Insights in Your Library

We’re thrilled to present the Liberty v5 Build 8.056 release. With this release, users can take advantage of a range of new features and enhancements, including the highly anticipated Dashboard View!

5 Things You Didn’t Know Your Library System Could Do

Integrated Library Systems (ILS) have come a long way and our ILS, Liberty, is at the forefront of this evolution. Over the years, Liberty has introduced many innovative features designed to make managing your library’s resources easier and more efficient. Here are five interesting capabilities of Liberty that you might not be aware of:

Enhance Your Catalog Homepage in Just 10 Minutes!

If your library doesn’t have a brand yet, it’s time to think about what would make the space recognizable. Can users and non-users alike easily recognize your homepage? If not, then there is room for improvement!

Queensland Museum Chooses Softlink IC’s Liberty

The Queensland Museum recently chose Softlink Information Centres’ (Softlink IC) Liberty as their integrated library software. Liberty offers a variety of features to the museum library such as a discovery and federated search, mobile app, multi-factor authentication and the capability to perform OCR on PDF files. This certainly ticked all the boxes for the museum library’s needs!

Exploring the World of Legal Librarians

In our earlier blog, we explored the world of parliamentary librarians and looked at a few of the essential soft skills for your overall success as a librarian. In summary, librarians should have research, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills to effectively assist borrowers or users.

Get Ready For 2023! A Library Holiday Guide

With the end of the year just around the corner (eek!), now is the perfect time to get started ensuring your library, knowledge or information center is prepared for the upcoming holiday season, and the new year that follows. From stocking up on festive reading materials, to preparing for extended hours and special events, there are plenty of tasks to keep you busy in the lead up to the holidays.

Exploring the World of Parliamentary Librarians

Libraries are some of the most exciting places to work, and as a librarian, you get to use a variety of skills every day. In this blog series, we’ll look at the types of skills and knowledge necessary for working in a library, knowledge or resource center. And we’ll showcase some specific sectors where you’re bound to find a librarian! We’ll start off with the work librarians do in a parliamentary setting. So, if you’ve ever wondered about working in a library, keep reading to learn more about the skills you’ll need to succeed!

Who Has the Best Library Homepage? Here Are Our Top Picks!

This is a blog with a twist. We know Liberty Digital is packed full of fantastic features and functionality. One of its best features is the flexible and customizable homepage which means you can create a homepage or OPAC (online public access catalog) as unique as your organization.

5 Easy Steps to Digitization in Your Library

The digital revolution has transformed the way we access and interact with information. For libraries, knowledge and information centers, this revolution presents a unique opportunity to extend their reach and impact. By digitizing your collection, you can make your resources more accessible and relevant in today’s digital world. Follow these five easy steps to successfully start digitizing your library.

We Can Solve Your Digital Content Cataloging Problems!

In most instances, library staff have been responsible for managing resources to ensure they are properly cataloged, making it easy for patrons to find. They add all the correct information on the catalog record and make sure it’s in the right location. It’s no secret this work requires accuracy and attention to detail!

Use our Free App to Grow Your Library – and Other Great Ideas

Everyone has heard of the library, but have they heard of your Library? Libraries are amazing places, and are full of information and resources that can benefit anyone who steps inside. Promoting your library is essential to its success, we all know this. But how can you get people to visit your library if they don’t even know it exists?

Trending – 6 Blogs to Level Up Your Library

Which are our top blogs? What’s trending? We regularly post a variety of blogs which focus on topics, trends or themes we believe are interesting to both our customers and knowledge center staff everywhere. If you’re a regular to our blog feed, you’d know the topics really do vary.

End the eBook Mystery

eBooks are not new. They’ve been around since the 70s (that’s right, the 1970s, not a typo!). However, for libraries and knowledge centers, eBooks have grown tremendously in popularity since the early 2000s and they have their place on library ‘shelves’ for a few reasons.

Waikato Regional Council Case Study

Our wonderful Liberty customers from Waikato Regional Council (WRC) started a revolution with their move to Liberty v5! As long-standing users of Liberty (since 2005), 2020 was the year for a big change. An overview of their case study is the focus of this blog, and the full case study will be published soon.

How to Increase Your Library Clicks! Read Our 5 Top Tips!

Libraries are literally knowledge centers that serve corporations, specialized research disciplines, academia, and members of the public. But how do you let people know what you’ve got? And how can they get to it?

Top 6 Picks in the Latest Liberty Release

We’re getting 2022 off to a great start with the latest Liberty release. As usual, there’s something for everyone! It did provoke some discussion amongst the Softlink IC staff about what features to highlight and after much discussion, we came up with 6 of the new features we know will make using Liberty an even better experience than ever for our users.

Fill Your Library with Digital Content!

It’s no secret libraries are evolving, the 21st century is all about digital content in your catalog! Increasingly, libraries are focused on managing digital information. Not only is data increasingly being produced in digital format, more and more people expect access to information anywhere, anytime. Softlink IC’s Liberty Digital can bring your newly digitized content and other electronic files to life for your users with an easy to navigate homepage you can get to anytime, anywhere.

4 Tips for Setting Up Your Library Blog

Have you been trying to find ways to promote your library other than through newsletters, mailouts, and reminder notices? Have you thought about blogs? Blogging is a way to promote your library and its services or distribute news that may be of interest to library users. Time dedicated to blogging can vary depending on how in-depth or short and newsy you want your blogs (articles) to be.

The House of Commons Library Chooses Softlink IC’s illumin

Softlink Information Centres (Softlink IC) is pleased to announce the House of Commons Library recently selected illumin as their customer requests and enquiries management system.

Secrets & Keyboard Shortcuts …Are You Paying Attention?

If you’re baking, using shortcuts might not always result in a perfect cake.

But, for busy library staff, an integrated library management system (ILMS) with lots of keyboard shortcuts is the way to get the results you want quickly. They make navigating to different screens and functions very efficient. Did you know your Liberty ILMS provides lots of shortcuts?

Tips and Treats – Craft a Carousel

Last, but by no means least, we come to the fourth and final blog in our Tips and Treats series. In this series, we’ve looked at changes you may have been meaning to do for a while, followed by a holiday treat. The holiday period, when many of your users are on a short break, is a great time just do them!

Tips and Tricks – A Vibrant Video

The holiday season only comes once a year. As we mentioned in our earlier blogs in this series, it can also be a great time, while many of your users are on a short break, to tackle some of the changes you’ve been meaning to do for a while.

Holiday Tips and Treats – Create a Custom Search

The holiday season only comes once a year. It can be a great time, while many of your users are on a short break, to tackle some of the changes you’ve been meaning to do for a while.

Offering Digital Resources in Your Library

Librarians understand digital resource collections are an increasingly important way to increase their reach and value to their library users. But what do librarians need to consider and how do they go about providing digital resources? Softlink IC gives librarians a brief overview of how to ensure their library embraces the digital library resources revolution.

Holiday Tips and Treats – Simplify Your Search Box

The holiday season comes but once a year and for our Liberty users, there’s all those end-of-year tasks to complete. But while many of your users are on a short break, it can be a great time to tackle some of the changes you may have been thinking about for a while.

Legal Librarians Love Current Awareness

Legal librarians manage a diverse set of information requirements from a diverse range of staff. It’s why they love an efficient and effective way to automatically inform their firm’s staff of the latest information of interest. A current awareness service (CAS) is necessary tool in their kit of user focused services.

3 Ways to Make New Employees Love Your Library

Your integrated library management system (ILMS) fits everyone’s needs like a glove. You’ve ensured access to the library’s dynamic homepage is easy and honed your outreach processes. As a result, the organization’s existing staff recognize the library as the invaluable asset it is and are already love and support the library.

Reference Interviews – Time and Cost Expensive or Not?

The reference interview is neither a new concept nor a rarely applied process. It is a valuable tool in the research specialist’s skill set to ensure they understand exactly what information their customer requires. But, sometimes the “interview” is undervalued by those who seek the research specialist’s assistance. Many find the “barrage” of questions asked of them to be time expensive. However, the benefits of a reference interview are significant. The relatively short amount of time required to answer some targeted questions reduces the time a researcher needs to find and retrieve the right information.

The Scoop – September 2021

A few titbits and information of interest from around the world.

How to Promote Your Library to Your Target Audience

Think of the major brands that are recognizable by their logo, their color scheme, the product they sell, and the message they deliver. Then think about whether your library is recognizable to your users and non-users in the same way. If not, you need to consider how you “brand” your library.

The #gotknowledge 2021 Library Survey is Now Closed!

The Softlink IC #gotknowledge library survey for 2021 closed on the 31st of August. We were delighted that as the month rapidly came to a close, we received a flurry of completed surveys to add to an already record number returned over the last 3 months. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our survey, it is greatly appreciated.

It’s Super September. Free Library Webinars for Everyone!

Reports are a librarian’s best friend and extracting verifiable data from their integrated library management system (ILMS) is increasingly non-negotiable. Reporting ensures you are all over the information you and your management team need. Best of all, reports prove the value of a library!

The Scoop – August 2021

A few titbits and information of interest from around the world.

Have you Completed Our 2021 #gotknowledge Annual Library Survey Yet?

The response to Softlink IC’s second #gotknowledge Library Survey has been outstanding with many librarians and library staff already sharing their feedback with us. We are excited to see that the 2021 survey will be bigger and better than last year. The survey closing date has been extended to the 31st of August, so don’t miss your chance to participate if you haven’t already!

How to Source eBooks for Your Library

Are you wanting to increase your library’s eBook offerings? You’re not alone. Libraries are increasingly offering digital as well as hard copy resources. EBooks are just one of a wide variety of eresources that are an increasingly common offering in all types of libraries, from specials to public. But where can librarians, who want to provide more eBooks to their users, buy them?

Using RSS Feeds to Boost Your Digital Resource Offerings

Librarians love finding ways to increase information offerings to their users. There is so much content on the internet that is regularly created, posted, and broadcast, on a regular and semi-regular basis. There is much of that content, librarians would love to add to their catalog.

Beginner’s Guide to Reporting in Your Library

Reports are a librarian’s best friend and extracting verifiable data from their integrated library management system (ILMS) is increasingly non-negotiable. Reporting ensures you are all over the information you and your management team need. Best of all, reports prove the value of a library!

There’s another reason why reporting in your library is vital. Have you ever had to argue a case for increases to budgets, new technology, an up-to-date ILMS, additional eResources, or additional staff? Asking for more like David Copperfield with a bowl in his hands, won’t work for librarians any more than it did for him!

Softlink IC understands the real value of reporting. Our customers love Liberty’s Reporting and Analytics features. So, if you are a beginner and part of your responsibility is to produce various reports, where do you begin? Here are a few tips that may help!

Magisterial Services Library Goes Live With Liberty

In late April, Papua New Guinea’s Magisterial Services Library installed Liberty to meet their need for a fully web-based integrated library management system (ILMS). Last week they completed training and are looking forward to working smarter with Liberty. Softlink IC is delighted to welcome them and we look forward to a long and successful partnership.

4 Key Takeaways From the North American Liberty User Group

The free, annual North American Liberty User Group Meeting held on May 13th, was again held online due to travel restrictions. Nonetheless, we were delighted that many of our library customers could join us for an action-packed afternoon despite many commenting they now have Zoom fatigue!

Our Annual Library Survey is Now Open!

For the past ten years, Softlink has put out its well-regarded annual library survey. Last year Softlink IC began conducting a survey for all Information Centres libraries and we were delighted with the response. And thus, a new tradition begins!

I Never Knew I Could Do That!

The Liberty library management system is feature and functionality packed. So much so that many of these features can slip your memory! So we thought a few tips and reminders of a selection of time saving and effective functionality might be useful!

Future Trends and Services in Libraries

A significant increase in access to libraries online via their Home page, self-service options, mobile technology, and expanding digital resource collections was already evidenced prior to COVID-19’s impact. This was borne out by the results of Softlink IC’s #gotknowledge2020 library survey. Fortunately, many library staff have been assisted by feature rich, cloud-based library management systems (LMSs) like Liberty during a what has been a challenging 2020.

One of the aspects the survey sought to identify was what library and knowledge center workers themselves believed would be the emerging trends and services that would influence their libraries in the future.

Not a ‘Spare Seat’ for the PNG Cataloging Workshop

Last week’s Cataloging workshop was a great success. Softlink IC’s Aaron Rose delivered the virtual workshop to a packed ‘house’ of enthusiastic Librarians from Papua New Guinea. Many of the attendees even brought along members of their staff. The more the merrier!

Softlink IC Welcomes the Queensland Parliamentary Library

Softlink Information Centres is delighted the Queensland Parliamentary Library (QPL) selected Liberty as their new library management system and illumin as their research management system.

Top 3 Tools Libraries Use for Patrons with Visual Impairment

Whether your library uses Liberty or illumin, you may have one or more users with some degree of visual impairment.

For Librarians, Sharing Knowledge is Sharing Power

It’s hard to imagine a time when most of us could not, relatively easily, access information. There was a time, when all the general population knew only what was told to them by those in positions of power. For those in power, controlling information, and therefore knowledge, was what kept them in their position. Fortunately, for many of us, times have changed!

Discovering Your Ideal ILMS: Key Factors to Consider

In today’s digital age, libraries are constantly looking for ways to enhance their efficiency and productivity. One solution that is a proven winner is the adoption of an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS). However, choosing the right ILMS can be a daunting task. In this blog, we will explore the key factors to consider when discovering your ideal ILMS.

Marshall Breeding is Coming to the North American Virtual User Group Meeting!

Our North American Liberty library staff will get together for the annual User Group Meeting (UGM) on May 13. It will again be a virtual meeting as the travel restrictions continue to impact the opportunity for us all to meet up face-to-face. Last year’s virtual meeting was fun and informative, and we look forward to doing it all again.

How to Increase Your Library’s Usage in 5 Easy Steps

Library staff are committed to helping, informing, and inspiring everyone. They are focussed on the converted and currently unconverted. Hiding their light under a bushel is not part of any library staff’s DNA. A great library management system like Liberty, an intranet, and social media give them the tools to reach their audience and increase their library’s usage.

Here are 5 ways library staff can increase their library’s usage in their organizations and communities.

6 Reasons Our Cloud-based Library Management System is the One

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty! There are library management systems (LMSs) and then there’s our Liberty cloud-based library management system. And, by the way, it’s been fully cloud-based for eons. Every LMS does the basics. Softlink IC’s Liberty takes those basics to a whole new level. Then there’s the ‘love to have’ features, many that have come standard for years. Bit of a trailblazer really.

Central Land Council Goes Live with Liberty v5 and Orbit, Library Management System!

On December 2nd, 2020 the Alice Springs based Central Land Council (CLC), went live with Softlink IC’s Liberty v5. The event was promoted as the exciting result of a long journey.

4 Benefits of a Corporate Digital Library

Digital libraries in organizations of all kinds have been critical to the development of an even more valuable workforce. The advantages to corporations results in the increased communication skills, brain agility, innovative thinking and wellbeing of their staff.

Are You Getting Real Value from Your Library Home Page?

Are you taking the fullest advantage of your Liberty library management system (LMS) Home page? We know investing in library software to manage and promote your collection and services is significant, so getting real value is crucial!

Last 6 Days of Christmas Gifts for Your Liberty Library Management System

We know you’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for our final 6 gift suggestions for your Liberty library management system (LMS). As we said last week, a gift for your LMS is like giving a gift to you, your staff, and your users. Now that’s what we call the best sort of gifts!

12 Days of Christmas ‘Gifts’ for Your Library Management System

‘Tis the season and thoughts turn to gift giving and receiving. For the most part, our thoughts don’t turn to what we can give our library management systems (LMS) and its users. Getting a gift for your LMS is like giving a gift to you, your staff, and your users. How good are those types of gifts!

How to Get Your Library Ready for the New Year!

2020 has affected everyone’s time perception. Our points of references have been skewed! Softlink IC gets it! So, we thought we’d help by suggesting some end of year tasks that should be considered by our Liberty users. It is, after all, a library management system that is your best friend when it comes to getting things done quickly and efficiently.

Our Top 5 Liberty New Features for 2020

Despite the challenges everyone has faced in 2020, Softlink IC continued to focus on delivering even more functionality and enhancing existing functionality. Our Liberty users are a diverse bunch. What is critical for our legal libraries may not be so for our medical, theological, or public libraries. It is a balancing act that we think we got right again this year!

5 Ways Our Customers Get Their Organization Involved With Liberty

Once Softlink IC’s customers decided it was well and truly time to implement Liberty as their new library management system (LMS) they identified 5 major tasks to ensure their users’ support. Picking their new system was the result of a lot of time, energy, and preparation so buy-in from everyone in the organization, not just the library staff, was crucial.

5 Reasons Businesses Need Librarians

Information on the web may be easy to find quickly. But is it the information your organization needs? Is it from a valid source, up-to-date and accurate? Is it applicable to the organization’s requirements? That is what a librarian, using a functionally rich integrated library system (ILS) or research management system (RMS) will deliver efficiently. Organizations need librarians to gain an advantage in an increasingly competitive business environment.

Liberty’s Smart Serials Coming to a Library Near You!

Cataloging and managing serials can be a complex process. Softlink IC, in consultation with our customers, set about simplifying serials management in Liberty, our library management system. We haven’t thrown the previously significant functionality out with the bathwater! The result is Smart Serials and, if the feedback we’ve received from customers who have seen a preview is anything to go by, we know you’re going to love it.

10 Advantages of Softlink’s Cloud Hosting for Your Liberty & illumin Systems

We at Softlink IC believe hosting your Liberty or illumin system with us is a hassle-free, cost-effective option. To convince you, we list 10 advantages, grouped into three categories that highlight the benefits of hosting your cloud-based library management and research management systems with us.

5 Steps on the Journey to a New Library Management System

Is your current library management system having trouble coping with the exciting challenges your knowledge center staff face? Is a new library management system the answer? If so, Softlink IC believes Liberty is the system for you. It will meet your current and future needs. But we do understand you might want to do a bit of research and evaluation before you take our word for it!

4 Important Email Notifications You Should be Sending Your Library Users

Regular contact with your library and information center users is vital. This means keeping them informed of research services, reminding them about their loaned items, or planned events. It reinforces your value to them. Making sure you keep in contact via email is the ideal way to do that. If you use our Liberty Library Management System, it’s a breeze.

The Softlink IC #gotknowledge2020 Survey Closes Soon!

The Softlink Information Centres #gotknowledge2020 survey, designed to get to know you and our library sector even better, opened in early April. We have been delighted with the response we have received over the last 8 weeks. To all of you, who have already completed our survey, thank you!

A Liberty Library in the Time of Lockdown

In this time of lockdown and uncertainty, Softlink Information Centres asked its Liberty customers what changes have they faced, and managed?

Market Your Library with Liberty

Increase the library’s presence in your organization! Market it. It is a great way to promote your library’s resources and services. Your Liberty library management system can help. With Liberty, it is easy to design an attention-grabbing Home page. You can also send Interests emails to your borrowers. Ones that include cover images and look professional.

So How’s Your Current Library Reporting Tool Working For You?

Statistics are important! For knowledge specialists, generating your resource center’s vital statistical data can be very time-consuming when you don’t have the right library reporting tool. An Excel spreadsheet has many uses, but recording statistics in a spreadsheet is not an efficient and cost-effective way to spend your valuable time.

4 Steps to Promote Your Corporate Library

So there you are – the proud manager of a beautiful new corporate library. You’ve done all the hard work. The steps you’ve taken to get to this point have been many. The last thing you want is all that hard work wasted. You want the library to be used to its full potential! For that, you need buy-in across the organization.

Open Your Library to the World!

For many libraries, providing remote access to the catalog is the only way to go. Enabling easy access for your users anywhere, anytime is invaluable for them and your library staff. Increasingly, people use their mobile devices, not just their PCs, to access information.

6 Ways to Promote the Value of your Library! Number 6 WON’T Shock You!

Promoting the value of your library is a necessity these days. While there are no doubt several actions you have already implemented to do so, we thought we’d give you a few more ideas!

6 Reasons Why Your Library Needs Alpacas

You may have heard a lot about alpacas in recent times. Here are six reasons why your library needs alpacas.

A Day in the Life of the Melbourne Cricket Club Librarian, David Studham

In the second of our Librarian Spotlight series, we turn to David Studham, Library Manager at The Melbourne Cricket Club Library. David gives us an insight into his working day and how the Liberty Library Management System has assisted him, and his staff, to deliver ever increasing value-added services to their users.

Top 6 Tips to Get Your Library Ready for the Holiday Season

It’s getting close to that time of the year and some of us are well-organized. But, for those who aren’t quite there yet, there are a few tips we think would be helpful. After all, this holiday season only comes once a year, so those once a year tasks are not necessarily high on the “remember to do” list even if, for some of us, that holiday season arrives more quickly than we ever thought possible!

Liberty Library Management System & the Softlink IC Customer Experience

“Customer experience” (CX) is the buzz phrase of the moment. These days everything must be an experience, from having a cup of coffee to buying a television. It’s as if the idea is somehow new! It’s not.

Legal Librarians – Always a Law Firm’s Valued Asset!

Technology has and continues to impact all business sectors. It is presenting challenges within the legal industry. Has technology provided a boon for legal library staff in strengthening their position as a valuable asset within their firms? Softlink believes so.

Librarian Spotlight – a Day in the Life of a Legal Librarian

In the first of our Librarian Spotlight series, Helen Gambley, Library Manager at HopgoodGanim Lawyers, gives us an insight into her working day and how illumin helps her to help the firm’s practitioners.

Softlink IC would like to thank Helen for taking the time to answer our spotlight questions. We are sure you will all enjoy reading them!

4 Steps to Develop an Effective Marketing Campaign for Your Library

Libraries are centers of knowledge that serve corporations, specialized research disciplines, organizations, and members of the public. However, the information age has affected the attitude of many towards libraries and their value. Many people believe all they need is the internet.

3 Emerging Trends for Medical Librarians

Time and technological innovation wait for no one! For medical librarians, technological innovation is presenting them with exciting opportunities. Softlink Information Centres believe they should consider the following three emerging trends. The trends are an opportunity to expand their role.

The Melbourne Liberty Conference – How Quickly Did That Come and Go!

All that anticipation and all that enjoyment have come and gone for 2019. Is it us or is time just flying by? The Melbourne conference, an action-packed day of learning and interaction is over for another year.

Big Data and Its Value to Knowledge Professionals

Knowledge professionals are well versed in managing data. With the rise of big data, they have more opportunities to reinforce their value. Big data also comes with some exciting challenges.

The New Zealand MfE Library – A Great Way to Spend an Afternoon!

As is the custom, the Wellington Liberty User Group Conference was preceded by a site visit. This year, Ailsa Parker, Librarian at the Ministry for the Environment Library in Wellington was our generous host.

Librarians Know Why it’s Important to Preserve Digital Resources

Librarians and knowledge managers get that information comes in all types of formats. They understand that information has been shared using the technology of the time, be it orally, handwritten or printed. While older ways of recording knowledge are still utilized and undergoing preservation, the bulk of current information is now created in digital format. Being digital does not mean that data is automatically preserved. Librarians and Knowledge Managers get that as well!

Trust a Librarian in the Battle to Protect User Privacy

Did you know that reading choices can tell a lot about someone? They can reveal religion, sexual preference, and political beliefs. It is precisely this type of information that has been used to target people in the past. It still is today, and no doubt will be in the future. That doesn’t mean librarians will stop fighting the battle to protect user privacy from the invasion of surveillance.

Guest Blogger, ESR’s Beryl Anderson Give us the Lowdown on Their First Ever Staff Conference

ESR held its first ever all staff conference in Wellington 11 – 12 April at Te Papa. Over 350 people from Auckland, Christchurch and the two Wellington locations of Kenepuru and Wallaceville, attended the two days.

3 Reasons to Embed Librarians in Clinical Teams

When creating clinical teams, including medical and paramedical staff in these teams is an obvious step. What may not seem quite so obvious is including a librarian. We often think of librarians as… well… stuck in libraries. But, with advanced mobile connectivity, librarians literally carry their library with them. Embedding a librarian into a clinical team provides a huge advantage. Librarians ensure relevant information for rounds is available, and can access research and information efficiently. That is the skill set they bring to a clinical team.

Top 3 Tools Libraries Use for Patrons With Visual Impairment

It is easy for most of us to walk into a library and search for a resource, use a computer, or read a journal. However, doing so is not always easy for those with a visual impairment. How accessible is the library’s information to those users?

Liberty Launch at Papua New Guinea University’s Michael Somare Library Makes the National News

The launch of the Liberty Library Management System at the University of Papua New Guinea’s Michael Somare Library was national news.

So You Think Your Library Homepage is an Attention Grabber? Wait ‘til you Personalise it!

Imagine being able to personalise information that displays on your library Home page when any of your borrowers log in. Well, now it’s possible with Liberty, Softlink’s integrated library management system.

Softlink IC’s First Liberty Virtual User Group Meetings for 2019

Kicking off a packed 2019 calendar was the first of the 2019 Liberty Northern and Southern Hemisphere Virtual User Group Meetings (VUGMs). Held on the 24th of January, attendance numbers for both meetings were heartening especially at a time of the year that brings with it so many tasks needing your attention.

A New Social Contract in the Digital Age

For knowledge managers, library, and IT staff the value of data is nothing new. Their focus is on curating information and protecting sensitive data from those who would use it for unethical or questionable purposes.

What’s Shaping the Future of Libraries May Surprise You

While there was once a time when libraries were full of difficult to index books and backdated journals, today many are seizing on multiple forms of technology. One of the primary aims of any good library is to help its users learn. When you see what’s shaping the future of tomorrow’s libraries, you may be surprised.

Outsourcing. Is It the Future of Law Libraries and Legal Librarians?

Law libraries and legal librarians and the era of outsourcing. Many law firms have recently outsourced their libraries and library staff. Many more are considering the option.

Health Libraries Are as Vital Today as Ever

Even in the digital age, health libraries play an important function. In fact, with the fast pace of change in the medical industry and the sheer volume of information, health libraries are as vital today as they ever were, both in the United States and worldwide.

Sea Power Centre Adds 6,000th Entry to Catalogue

Congratulations to the Sea Power Centre Library on reaching a cataloguing milestone, entering the 6000th record into their Liberty system which holds their historic reference collection.

5 Reasons You Should Choose Your Old Library Management System over Liberty

While thousands of libraries all over the world use Softlink’s library management systems, we acknowledge Liberty is not for everyone.

Top 5 Tips to Get Your Library Ready for the Holiday Season

So you think you’ve ticked off all the Christmas season preparations? OK we believe you. But, just in case there’s one or two things that may have slipped your mind – after all it only comes once a year (or seemingly more often for those of us less close to our actual day of birth), we thought we’d provide you with a little checklist.

eBooks Have a Place on Library “Shelves”

In our increasingly technological world, the use of digital material continues to increase. Whether it is digital advertisements or images, examples of electronic products are everywhere. The use of technology is seeing increased efficiency in businesses of all kinds as people become more adept at using it both at work and at home. Yet technology and its use remains the topic of debate over when and how digital material is used in some sectors. One such sector is libraries.

4 Tips for Creating a Business Case

Whether your library is large or small, a library that isn’t as efficient as it could be is frustrating. Businesses across many fields use libraries to make their workplace more efficient. But, if they don’t have a Integrated Library System (ILS), there’s every chance it isn’t as efficient as it could be. Are you interested in adding an ILS to your workplace? When you can see the benefits but others can’t, it helps to arm yourself with the right information. By creating a business case, you may succeed in introducing the right ILS to the company you work for.

Library Software – Making Libraries Accessible to Everyone

Just as we have the right to freedom of action and expression, we should have the right to gain knowledge. This means making knowledge accessible to everyone. Our levels of physical or learning ability, should not bar us from accessing knowledge.

Liberty Training and User Group Meeting in Beautiful Edinburgh

October saw Softlink hold its free Liberty Training and User Group Meetings in the UK, the second of which was held in beautiful Edinburgh. Hosted by Colin McDowall librarian at the Royal College of Physicians, it was attended by a small but enthusiastic group of users who travelled from the West Midlands and North East England to join those more locally based.

Why Librarians and Harry Potter Have a Lot In Common

Just like Harry Potter, librarians can’t keep their secret any longer. For all they walk among us in normal clothes and keep a low profile between the stacked shelves of your local library, they can’t hide the truth any longer.

Market Your Library’s Services and Resources

Being a librarian is a stimulating job. No two days are the same, and no two users have the same needs. The ability to juggle many tasks is paramount. The demands on librarians are significant. They face constant interruption, and shifting between roles and responsibilities, all while keeping a smile on their face or trying to! And then there’s the need to keep abreast of new information technology to meet their users’ changing requirements and expectations, while facing budget cuts and less staff. Need we go on?

7 Ways Law Libraries Save Law Firms Money

Law libraries accommodate all manner of resources, both digital and physical, to help lawyers in their research. More and more, law firms are relying on the internet, online databases, and web-based services for research, but there is still a need for physical publications.

Tips to Succeed as a Solo Librarian – Part 2

Some further tips for you as a solo librarian! You will be fulfilling many functions — tasks that in a much larger library would be undertaken by different departments. There is quite a bit on your plate; on top of that, you are dealing face to face with members of the public and fielding requests, overseeing circulation of resources, and developing library reference collections.

Box Hill Institute’s Students Play with Softlink ICs Liberty Training System

Box Hill Institute (BHI) includes Degree, Diploma, and Certificate IV courses in Library Studies. The Institute uses Softlink IC’s Liberty library management system as a training tool for their students. The resulting practice data amused the Institute’s staff.

How live chat can benefit librarians!

Providing real-time support is an important part of customer service for all companies. The emergence of the live chat feature by library software vendors is making customer support even more effective. It provides their customers with the advantage of access to real-time support without having to wait on the phone, or wait for an email reply to a query.

How Software Can Help Support the Changing Role of Academic Librarians

Like many industries, new technologies have resulted in the implementation of significant change. The academic library is no exception. The academic library is no exception. Academic librarians are re-thinking their management of collection, curation, and acquisitions. As a result, changes to the librarian’s role are dramatic.

The Final Liberty Virtual User Group Meetings for 2018 is a success!

It was a fantastic turnout for Liberty’s Northern and Southern Hemisphere Virtual User Group Meetings (VUGMs).

Tips to succeed as a Solo Librarian

Being a solo librarian can be difficult. Even experienced librarians find it very challenging to run and manage libraries all by themselves. Those who take on the role require not only the willingness but an understanding of the diverse skills that they will need to acquire to successfully manage the role. After all, many career opportunities nowadays require solo librarians.

It’s a Wrap – Another Successful Liberty User Group Conference

Almost 50 librarians from education, legal, university colleges, industry and government libraries took part in our Melbourne National Liberty User Group Conference and Masterclass in late August with some taking the opportunity to visit the MCC library. They all had a great time and we would again like to thank David Studham and library staff.

Brisbane Liberty Library Management System Training Proves Popular

Softlink Information Centres’ Brisbane head office was the venue for July’s Liberty library management system training. The free, face-to-face, customer training sessions were fully booked, as enthusiast Liberty users joined Softlink IC’s Alex and Sarah for a fun and interesting day.

New Zealand Librarians Meet Up for 2018 Liberty National User Conference

Almost forty librarians from government, public, academic, health, engineering and legal libraries took part in our New Zealand National User Conference and Masterclass in Wellington in June.

The Softlink Scoop – Edition 14/2018

A weekly round up of library and information center news and opinions from around the world.weekly round up of library and information center news and opinions from around the world.

Lamm Jewish Library of Australia

“Our borrowers like that Liberty is simple to use. It is easy to access the catalog directly from the Lamm Jewish Library website and see what is available.”

Leonie Fleiszig, Director

Liberty Legal Library Customers Celebrate National Library Week

First established in America in 1958, and sponsored by ALA, National Library Week celebrates the contributions of all libraries be they corporate, school, public or academic and the wonderful staff who serve the needs of their library’s users. In this, its 60th year, National Library Week runs between April 8 – 14. This year’s theme is “Libraries Lead”.

Mobile Apps in the Law Library

Released as Library Link in 2013, Softlink’s enhanced mobile app for libraries has been renamed Liberty Link, and we are excited to be bringing it you for ALLA 2018!

Will 2018 be the Year for Affordable Library Digitisation?

Library digitisation is common place. New content comes in to the library in digital formats. Older materials get a second life through digitisation. And for many libraries under pressure to reduce floor space, it is a way of maintaining services.

The role of technology in library outreach – the library homepage

Welcome to the second part of our series looking at the role of technology in library outreach. In this instalment I am focussing on how to make the user homepage of your library management system a more effective component of your outreach programs.

Guest post: Getting creative with library outreach at Alzheimer’s Australia

In our latest guest post, Liberty user Stroma Mauritzen talks about how the Alzheimer’s Australia library service has created a vibrant and successful library outreach program through pop up libraries, blogging, a “recommended reading” sticker, and the exciting opportunities they are investigating for the future.

The Role of Technology in Library Outreach – Websites

If you missed the introduction to our “Role of technology in library outreach” series, we’re defining library outreach as the endeavours that are aimed at the following:

Introducing “The role of technology in library outreach” blog series

In the coming weeks, I’ll be publishing a series of posts looking at the role that technology can play in advancing your library outreach or marketing programs.

New ARLIS Census Paints a Picture of Art Librarians

The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS / NA) has released the preliminary findings of a survey of the demographics of art information professionals in North America.

The Role of Data Management Discussed at NZ Science and Research Conference

130 staff from New Zealand’s Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) came together in Wellington recently to discuss the great science being undertaken across their four science centres, as well as the valuable work of their support staff (including ESR’s Information and Research Services team).

Do medical libraries benefit from strong alliances with IT?

The findings of a new survey into collaboration between medical libraries and information technology departments has been published in the January 2017 edition of the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Do Innovative Libraries Need to be Radical for Success?

Without delving into the challenges faced by 21st century libraries too much, I’m sure we can all pinpoint a time when we read something about innovative libraries and thought to ourselves, “Wow, how on earth did they manage to pull that together? I rarely get time to finish my coffee before it goes cold!”

6 Ideas to Boost Your Information Centre & Library Marketing

Library marketing doesn’t need to be complicated! Just a few small changes can make a big difference to how your patrons view your library.

Plan Before You Scan: Considerations for launching a digital archive project

The American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR)’s new photo archive project aims to bring a collection of 30,000 photos documenting the archaeological and cultural heritage of the Middle East to the public eye. But where do you even begin to digitize 30,000 slides, negatives, and prints?

ACOR is one of the many diverse libraries who use Softlink’s Liberty library management system. In 2016 they were awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education through the competitive American Overseas Research Centers grant program which will support the ACOR Library Photographic Archive. As a guest blogger for Softlink, Corrie Commisso, Senior Archival Consultant for ACOR, shares her experiences with launching the digital archive project.