Lane Cove Library To Upgrade Its Library System: What Lane Cove Library Users Need to Know

Lane Cove Library is rolling out a major software upgrade, and while the Lane Cove, Greenwich and St Leonards branches will stay open throughout the upgrade however, the change will temporarily change how library users borrow and return their loans.

The upgrade is the latest in a run of improvements at the Library, which last year marked its 70th birthday with a wave of new initiatives (new library cards, QR-code book reviews, the Lego Club and the Literary Awards among them).

This software upgrade continues that momentum, modernising the systems behind the scenes so the Library can keep pace with a service that already has one of the highest lending rates in NSW.

Because Lane Cove Library operates as part of the Shorelink network with Mosman and North Sydney, the changeover impaccts all three council library services, though each is managing its own local arrangements. Mosman and North Sydney residents should check their own council websites for details of their offline periods.

Key Dates

• Sunday 13 September 2026 (from 5.00pm) – Monday 28 September 2026: The current system will go offline for the upgrade, including catalogue services and the Library app. Lane Cove Libraries (including The Yarn, Hunters Hill) will remain open for borrowing at the service desks.
• Tuesday 29 September 2026: The new catalogue launches!

What’s Changing During the Upgrade

• Borrowing is still possible, just not self-service. All branches remain open, and members can continue to borrow at the customer service desk. However, self-check machines and automatic return technology will be out of action for the duration.
• The catalogue will be frozen. The current library catalogue won’t be available in real time. Members will still be able to view the existing catalogue, but it won’t update during the upgrade, so it may not reflect current availability. This means only items physically found on the shelf will be available to borrow.
• No returns until the end of the month. Nothing is due until October 2026, and members are asked not to return any items between Monday 14 September 2026 and Wednesday 30 September 2026.
• Reservations are paused. Members won’t be able to place or manage holds, and there will be a delay in receiving items already on reserve.
• The Library App will log everyone out. All members will be logged out of the app during the transition and will need to log back in once the new system is live.
• No new memberships can be processed until the upgrade is complete.
• No fees or payments can be taken. If an item is lost or damaged during this period, any replacement fee will be added to the member’s account once the system comes back online. It won’t be charged on the spot.
• Email notices will pause for the duration of the upgrade.
• Computers, printing and photocopying will only be available via guest card or eftpos during the transition. At Lane Cove Library specifically, these services will be completely unavailable on Monday 14 September 2026, returning Tuesday 15 September 2026. Don’t worry any money currently held on library cards will become available again once the new system is up and running.

How to Prepare

Because self-service kiosks and account lookups will be limited, members who want to borrow during the changeover should bring their physical library card, or add their library card to their Google or Apple Wallet ahead of time, so staff at the customer service desk can process loans without delay.

The Bigger Picture

Software upgrades like this one are unglamorous but necessary groundwork, and they keep a 70-year-old institution running smoothly into its next chapter. For a library as heavily used as Lane Cove’s, a short period of manual workarounds is a small trade-off for a more usable system on the other side.

Members with questions about the transition, or about borrowing during this period, are encouraged to speak with library staff directly at the customer service desk.

FAQs

Want to know more?  Read the FAQ’s here.