Welcome, Vernon Area Public Library!
CCS is excited to welcome the Vernon Area Public Library as our 32nd member library! With Vernon comes the addition of:
- Over 151,000 titles
- Around 179,700 physical items
- Around 22,700 patrons
Vernon Area Public Library will go live with CCS on September 3, 2025. Watch this page for updates and tips to help your library prepare for the migration.
Jump to a section:
- Prepare for Go Live
- Offline and Go Live Schedule
- The Offline Period
- Offline Circulation
- API and Other Services
- Additional Information
Content added within the past two weeks is designated with (NEW).
Prepare for Go Live
This section summarizes tasks your library can do to prepare for the migration offline and go live periods. New tasks will be added as we progress through the project!
Offline and Go Live Schedule
Below is the offline and go live schedule for the Vernon Area Public Library migration. The offline schedule is determined using a test data load in spring. During the test data load, Innovative loads a copy of Vernon's data into the CCS training database, processes the data, and logs how much time each stage requires.
Vernon will use Polaris offline from August 28 - September 2, 2025. All other CCS libraries will use Polaris offline from August 29 - September 2, 2025. All libraries will resume normal Polaris operations on September 3, 2025.
During the offline period, Vernon's data will loaded into the CCS database and indexed. All access to the production SQL database will be disabled, including the staff client, Leap, PowerPac, and Simply Reports. Innovative will provide SIP authentication and limited PowerPac access through the training database while we are offliine.
| DATE | EVENT |
| Wedesday, August 27 (after-hours) | - Innovative extracts Vernon data from Horizon. |
| TBD | - Innovative syncs production data to training. |
| Thursday, August 28 | - Vernon staff begin using Polaris remote offline circulation. - All other CCS libraries remain online in Polaris. |
| Thursday, August 28 (after-hours) | - After libraries close, production PowerPAC is redirected to training PowerPAC. - After libraries close, SIP authentication is switched to the training database. |
| Friday, August 29 | - All CCS libraries begin using Polaris remote offline circulation. - Innovative begins the data load, data deduplication, and indexing process. |
| Saturday, August 30 | - All CCS libraries offline. - Innovative continues the data deduplication process and indexing process. |
| Sunday, August 31 | - All CCS libraries offline. - Innovative continues the data deduplication process and indexing process. |
| Monday, September 1 | - All CCS libraries offline. - Innovative continues the data deduplication process and indexing process. |
| Tuesday, September 2 | - All CCS libraries offline. - Innovative completes the data deduplication process and indexing process. |
| Tuesday, September 2 (evening) | - CCS and Innovative do QA when deduplication and indexing processing is complete. - CCS loads existing CCS library offline files. - Training PAC redirect removed after-hours; SIP authentication switches back to production. |
| Wednesday, September 3 | - Vernon goes live on Polaris! - All CCS libraries resume normal Polaris operations. |
The Offline Period
Offline Services
While libraries are offline, a number of services will be unavailable.
Available Services:
- Checking out materials
- Patron registration (optional)
- Hourly material check-in (optional)
- Available holds pickup
- Training PowerPAC search functions
- Training Leap search functions
- Database/SIP Authentication against training (see section on SIP/PAC Redirect for more info)
Unavailable Services:
- Materials check-in
- Placing new holds
- Paying fines
- Modifying patron records
- Processing Holds
- Running the picklist
- Checking in expired holds
- Checking in delivery
- Creating ILL or on-the-fly records
- Technical Services functions (adding/editing items, bibs, etc.)
- Simply Reports access
- Find More Illinois
- API authentication (see below for more info on API services)
SIP Redirect to Training During Offliine
Innovative will redirect SIP authentication and the PowerPAC from our production environment to our training environment during the offline period. This will allow patrons to use services that authenticate via SIP during the downtime, such as Overdrive.
Patrons registered on or after the final data sync will not have access to SIP tools, including Overdrive. Users that become delinquent or expired during the offline period will still have access to resources that may have been restricted during normal circumstances.
This redirect will only apply to CCS libraries currently on Polaris. Vernon Area Public Library will need to coordinate access individually with their legacy ILS (if available). CCS will share more details on the redirect when finalized.
There is currently no redirect equivalent avialable for API services. Services that authenticate via API (including services like CloudLibrary and certain library apps) will be unavailable during this period.
Leap Access During Offline
Training Leap will be available during offline for reference only. Library staff may not perform any transactions in training during the offline period - all transactions must take place in Polaris Offline. CCS will work to restrict permissions, but it is the responsibility of each staff member to follow procedures. CCS cannot guarantee recovery of transactions that take place in the training database. Access training Leap at https://ccs-training.polarislibrary.com/LeapWebApp.
Because of the temporary changes to permissions, staff will encounter an override block when attempting to open a patron record to the checkout tab (image below). When you encounter the override block, click cancel to close the block and view the patron’s account.
PowerPAC Access During Offline
Production PowerPAC will be unavailable during the offline period. Innovative will temporarily redirect production PAC to the training PAC, with limited functionality. This will allow patrons to search for materials and check their accounts. As items are checked out in offline, item availability will become out of date. CCS will disable certain functions, such as the ability to place holds and make changes to account information. CCS will also add a header image and banner in place to indicate that catalog maintenance is being performed and search results may be out of date.
Neither patrons nor library staff will be able to place holds, update account information or pay fines in PowerPAC. Libraries should communicate these dates to their patrons as appropriate to your community.
The redirect is unable to apply a user's search terms when redirected from a website search widget.
Offline Circulation
Offline Check Out
Libraries will use Polaris Remote Offline circulation to check material out to patrons. Using Polaris Offline is required. There are two Polaris offline modes: Remote Offline and Local Offline. Libraries should use Remote Offline mode during the migration downtime. In this mode, offline files are stored on the Polaris remote server and CCS is able to upload transaction files on behalf of libraries. With Local Offline, transaction files are stored locally on the library computer, which means libraries would need to upload Local Offline files themselves.
CCS will load remote offline transaction files all CCS libraries (including Vernon) the evening of September 2.
During check out, Offline Circulation will alert staff if the patron has one or more of the following blocks (libraries can decide if they will continue the checkout transaction or not):
- Library assigned blocks
- Free text blocks
- System-level blocks, including PAC self-registration blocks and card expiration blokcs
- Collection agency blocks
Offline circulation will not alert staff to the following conditions:
- Long overdue
- Patron has exceeded number of overdue items allowed
- Patron owes money
- Patron has exceeded maximum fines
- Patron has notes
- Patron has exceeded material type checkout limits
If using Remote Offline, all properly performed offline transactions will be updated in the Polaris database before libraries are back online on September 3.
Patron Registration
Libraries can optionally choose to register new patrons using Polaris Offline. Libraries should designate one circulation workstation for patron registration to help minimize potential load errors. (This workstation may also be used for checkouts). If you will register new patrons during the offline period, you must submit the designated workstation name to CCS (deadline TBD). Please email help@ccslib.org with the workstation name.
Having designated workstations for offline registration allows new patron records to be created first. This ensures no checkout transactions will error out due to a non-existent patron record.
Patrons registered during the offline period will not be recognized by tools that authenticate against Polaris.
Using Self-Checks and Sorters in Offline
All self-checks must be either disabled or set into offline mode prior to the SIP redirect to training (date and time TBD). If you will be using your self-check in offline mode, you will need to confirm settings with your vendor and test self-checks in offline mode. If self-checks are left online, checkouts will be applied to the training database instead of production due to the SIP redirect. Deadline for testing self-checks in offline mode is TBD.
Sorters must be disabled during the offline period so they do not perform check ins. In Offline Circulation, there is no way for the system to determine if material should transit to another library, is on hold for a patron, was returned overdue, or otherwise requires action. Material should be set aside until the morning of go live.
Hourly Material Check In
Hourly or daily use materials that are not eligible for holds such as laptops or other in-house use equipment, may be checked in. Your library should determine which, if any, materials would be eligible for offline check in and set up an internal procedure.
Again, library staff should not check in general material during offline. In Offline Circulation, there is no way for the system to determine if material should transit to another library, is on hold for a patron, was returned overdue, or otherwise requires action. Material should be set aside until the morning of go live.
Accessing Remote Offline Transaction Logs
CCS will load remote offline transaction files on behalf of libraries. CCS will load remote offline transaction files for elibraries the evening of September 2. Each file will generate a transaction log, which gives information about offline checkouts including those that could not be completed due to an incorrect patron barcode or incorrect item barcode.
Libraries are not required to review these offline error reports. If your library is interested in viewing the reports, how-to instructions are availble on the Using Remote Offline webpage.
Testing Polaris Offline
More information coming soon.
Offline Circulation FAQ
Q: What is my library's default offline loan period?
A: Every library is allowed to set their own offline loan period. Please email help@ccslib.org to confirm or update your library's setting.
Q: Will ereceipts be generated during offline?
A: No, ereceipts will not be delivered to patrons when checking out materials during offline. Libraries can configure their offline settings to allow staff to print Check Out receipts for patrons.
Q: My library currently allows patrons to self-register for a new library card in the PowerPAC. Will patrons be able to do this during offline?
A: No. During the offline period, all library catalogs will be directed to the system-level training PowerPAC. Self-registration is not be enabled for this interface.
Q: Will patrons be blocked from checking out materials in offline if they owe too much money?
A: No. Polaris offline does not block patrons in offline based on money owed, unless that patron has been submitted to Collection Agency. You can review the blocks that will or won't appear in the above Offline Checkout section.
API and Other Services
API Services
API-connected services will be down during the offline period. Libraries have the option of telling patrons services will be unavailable during offline or reach out to vendors of other API-connected resources to discuss access options for the offline period.
Here is a sample script to use if reaching out to vendors:
Our library consortium, CCS, will be offline from August 29-September 2 for a new library migration. During this downtime, we will be redirecting our SIP authentication to our training server, which will be available for read-only access. We do not have a similar mechanism to use with API.
We are reaching out to see if an alternative method for authentication is available during the downtime for your services that use API?
API Services may include:
(Please note – some vendors offer both SIP and API authentication options. For these vendors, CCS is unable to determine which libraries use which protocols.)
- Axis360
- BiblioCommons
- Boopsie
- CapriaMobile
- CenTec
- CincoBooks
- CloudLibrary
- Communico (see below for more information)
- Comprise
- Creativebug
- CuriosityStream
- Ebsco Stacks (open ticket via EBSCOConnect)
- Ebsco (open ticket via EBSCOConnect)
- Evanced
- Explore More IL
- Hoopla
- Kanopy
- LibraryMarket
- Libro
- Lynda
- NoveList
- PatronPoint
- ReadSquared
- Solus
- SpringShare
- Syndetics Unbound
- Zoobean
Communico Services
More information coming soon.
Find More Illinois
Staff will be unable to process requests for Find More Illinois during offline. While we are down, ShareIt will be unable to communicate with Polaris. CCS will put all libraries into holiday mode to prevent lending and borrowing requests being passed to library FMI accounts.
RAILS Delivery Services
Email the RAILS Delivery Help Desk at railsdelivery@railslibraries.org if your library would like to pause delivery during offline.
RAILS Explore More IL
More information coming soon.
Web Reports
More information coming soon.
Additional Information
Scheduling Staff
CCS strongly recommends that all libraries consider the go live schedule as they create their August-September circulation staff schedules.
Library administrators and managers are responsible for ensuring that scheduled staff have reviewed offline procedures and restrictions.
Management or other staff who are experienced with offline procedures should be scheduled for, at minimum:
- Friday, August 29: First day of Polaris offline for existing CCS libraries
- Wednesday, September 3: CCS libraries back online
Consider scheduling additional clerks and/or shelving staff on the day of and after go live. There will be a backlog of material to check in and shelve.
Library Due Dates During Offline
More information coming soon.
Auto-Renewal
Auto-renewal will be adjusted to account for the offline period. This will ensure items due before and after the offline period will be considered for auto-renewal.
PowerPAC Alert Banner
CCS will add an alert banner to all library PowerPACs ahead of the offline period. More specific details will be posted here when available.
Overdue/Bill Notices
Overdue and Bill notices will be disabled at go live to give libraries time to check in items returned during the offline period. When re-enabled, any still-pending notices will be issued. More specific details will be posted here when available.