Latest News

Our team has been working around the clock to deliver solutions that minimize the impact of library closures on collectionHQ and ESP data. Soon after libraries across the world began to shut down, we added new functionality to provide you with the tools to identify branches which should be treated as “closed”. Our Action Plans, Dashboards and ESP predictions consider the duration of these library closures to help you continue to make informed and efficient decisions about your collection. 

We appreciate that libraries across the world are in a state of flux. As buildings reclose or reopen according to local guidelines, collectionHQ branch closure information can be updated with just a few clicks, taking concerns about usage data off your mind so that you can focus on adapting your library services to this new reality. ESP has also been enhanced to understand these fluctuations in circulation. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your collectionHQ representative or our Support team if you have any questions or concerns about the changes we have introduced.  

In 2021, we will continue to enhance both services to support seamless library workflows and the delivery of community-driven collections. Stay tuned for more news on upcoming enhancements to collectionHQ. 

How has collectionHQ changed to handle lower circulation due to COVID-19 library closures?

We understand that many library customers have been concerned about how lower circulation caused by library closures might impact collectionHQ. To alleviate these concerns, we added new functionality to provide you with the tools to identify branches which should be treated as “closed”. This enhancement will continue to benefit libraries that reopen in a limited capacity, for example curbside pick-up services. Libraries can also add closure dates retrospectively.

Now, branch closure duration will be considered in collectionHQ Action Plans to ensure that the information provided by collectionHQ continues to help you make informed and efficient decisions about your collection. We want to take concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on circulation and usage off your mind so that you can focus on adapting your library services to the “new normal”.

We would like to thank everyone who has shared feedback with us about managing library collections during the COVID-19 crisis. Your input is essential in helping us to deliver the solutions your library needs to operate as normally as possible during this unprecedented time.

As libraries worldwide are taking action to keep their communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, we at collectionHQ wish to extend our thoughts to all of those affected.

We are actively monitoring the situation and are implementing procedures to ensure the health and safety of our team members including enhanced cleaning practices, restricting company travel, using work from home solutions and practicing social distancing.

Both the collectionHQ and ESP applications will continue to operate as normal during this period and we will keep you informed of any updates as they happen.

Additional information on steps you can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your community is available on the World Health Organization website.

Thank you and we hope you stay healthy during this difficult time.

In recent months, our team has been working closely with a group of customers to find out how we can evolve ESP in line with the needs of its users. As a result, we are delighted to announce exciting new enhancements to the service, including:

• A powerful new user interface that offers customers complete control of their Distribution workflow.
• Evidence-based recommendations of quantities to purchase.
• The ability to see how new titles are predicted to perform by comparing to previously purchased material.

ESP customers are invited to attend training webinars to learn about the new features. Please contact your Account Manager for more information.

New Customers

We are delighted to welcome 19 new customers to collectionHQ and ESP since October last year, including Stadtbücherei Frankfurt am Main – the first library in Germany to subscribe to collectionHQ.

Events

At recent customer Forums in Manchester and London, we were delighted to see so many of our U.K. customers, some of whom have been using collectionHQ for more than 10 years. We invited attendees to share their collectionHQ best practice and enhancement suggestions which customers can read now in Community (in Academy).

We look forward to meeting with our customers across the globe at a number of national and regional events over the next 12 months. We have already announced some dates which you can view on our events calendar.