What happened, and when will things return to normal?
What happened?
During the process of moving resources to a new server, campus IT inadvertently deleted the library's Voyager database and its backup files.
When will things return to normal?
It is too soon to say when everything will be restored. We have been able to use information from a May 2010 copy of the database to recover a great deal of information. Some aspects of the system will be more difficult to restore than others and it is likely that we will begin using the system again before all data is completely restored.
2/7/12 Update:
The online catalog has been restored and is now available with some limitations. Things to note as you search while the Voyager Recovery project continues:
· Information regarding an item’s specific location and availability (checked out, lost, missing, etc.) remains incomplete and /or may display inaccurately for some small pockets of materials – we are working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
· Records for all materials added to the collections since May, 2010 (books, e-books, scores, govt. documents, periodicals, all media) remain incomplete. We’re working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, but encourage you to continue to use WorldCat (and limit your search to Berry’s holdings) if your search focus is on the most recently published or added materials available.
How can I search for books without an online catalog, and then how do I locate them in the library?
- Use WorldCat. All "online catalog" links from the library's web page have been temporarily redirected to this tool which enables you to search our collection along with thousands of others. With the 'advanced' search option, you can limit your search to just books and other items held at Memorial Library, if that's your preference. From your search results list, select the title(s) of interest, then scroll down in the record to see the LC Call number that will help you locate the item in our stacks.
- You may also use the open-source version of WorldCat, but in order to see any call number information you'll need to click on "OCLC FirstSearch" from the record of the item.
- Try the E-book collection we introduced last fall if you're looking for recently published books for all topic areas. No call numbers needed...just an adventuresome spirit and a willingness to try a different approach to reading books! To access these e-books, you'll be prompted to provide your usual authentication information, regardless of whether you're on or off campus.
- All library staff members are ready to assist you in any way that we can with workarounds for locating the materials you need until our catalog is restored--please don't hesitate to contact us.
Can I still check out books and DVD's and laptops?
Yes, you may check out any and everything you need!
2/7/12 Update: Online Circulation has resumed and check-out and check-in transactions are functioning as expected for most materials. We appreciate your patience for those exceptions which may need to continue as manual transactions until the system is fully restored.
How are charges going to work?
With the exception of materials on reserve there will be no charges, since our circulation policies for all other materials don't include overdue fines, anyway. Any erroneous charges that may appear briefly on your library account as a result of the system situation will, of course, be waived.
Materials you have currently checked out remain due on their due date - don't worry too much about renewals for the moment.
Materials you have checked out but not returned by the end of the semester will be assumed lost, and you will be charged all applicable lost book fees.
Please note: for all physical reserves (books and other hard copies), laptops, and other equipment on reserve, late return fees continue to apply, even while the system is down. We appreciate your continued cooperation.
For information about interlibrary loan materials, please see ILL section below.
Do all of the other databases still work?
Yes! The good news is you can still search all of the library's other online research resources - they are not part of the outage at this point. If you do experience a technical difficulty, please let us know by using the "Report Issue" link present for every listing on the library's databases menus.
May I still request materials using Interlibrary Loan?
You may continue to submit interlibrary loan requests since this service is largely unaffected by the system outage; please contact us if you need help determining whether we hold a book or journal before placing your request.
Please note that all due dates, restrictions, fines and/or fees associated with any item we have borrowed for you from another institution still apply!
May we still submit book and dvd order requests (faculty)?
For the moment, please submit orders for essential/critical need items only. We'll notify you as soon as that changes.
What's the best way to check on the status of a book order I placed pre-crash?
Please contact Jessica Yates, Acquisitions Coordinator (jryates@berry.edu, ext. 5887) or Cheryl Hawkins, Cataloging & Metadata Coordinator (chawkins@berry.edu, ext. 4092) directly for information regarding the status of your recent orders.
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