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For Planning/Immediate Release:
March 17, 2025

Media Contact:
George Williams, Media Relations Manager
(202) 727-1184; George.Williams2@dc.gov

DC Public Library to Introduce New Online Catalog

Launch Date: April 16, 2025

(Washington, D.C.) - Finding and borrowing Library materials will soon be more convenient for DC Public Library customers. On April 16, the Library will launch a revamped online catalog designed to streamline searches, automate renewals and offer greater flexibility in managing items.

To enhance the user experience even further, these updates cut down on steps and improve access to popular materials. Customers will have a unified, more intuitive way to find and borrow whatever interests them.

The new catalog consolidates all material types of a title into a single search result, eliminating the need for multiple searches to locate different formats of the same item. Built-in spelling corrections and related-topic suggestions will help customers find what they need, even if they are unsure of a title or author’s name.

Additionally, the catalog offers easy checkout for both physical and digital materials in one location. Customers can place holds on physical copies with a single click and borrow eBooks or audiobooks directly through the system, reducing the need to switch between different platforms.

A new notification system ensures that customers receive updates about holds, due dates, and account details via their choice of email or text message, allowing them to stay informed in a way that suits their routine.

Existing features such as reading history and saved reading lists for print materials will carry over into the new system. Customers who previously enabled these options will retain their borrowing records and can continue curating personalized lists without interruption.

To prepare for this transition, the Library will take its current catalog offline on April 14 and 15. Digital resources—including OverDrive, Libby, Kanopy and PressReader—will remain accessible throughout the downtime, ensuring continued access to eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming content. To accommodate the catalog outage, any customer who borrows physical materials on or after March 24 will receive a four-week loan period—rather than the usual three—to ease the transition. Library locations will be open regular hours, allowing customers to borrow physical items in person despite the catalog being offline.

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The District of Columbia Public Library is a dynamic source of information, programs, books and other library materials and services that improve the quality of life for District residents of all ages that, when combined with expert staff, helps build a thriving city. The Library provides environments that invite reading, community conversation, creative inspiration and exploration, lectures, films, computer access and use, workforce and economic development, storytimes for children, and much more. DC Public Library includes the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and 25 neighborhood libraries and also provides services in nontraditional settings outside of the library buildings. DC Public Library enriches and nourishes the lives and minds of all District residents, provides them with the services and tools needed to transform lives, and builds and supports community throughout the District of Columbia.