FOLIO Migration: Bayreuth University Library is getting a new library system

Media from the open stacks of the library can be checked out until Sunday, 20th September 2026. From 21st September 2026 to 28th September 2026, no items from Bayreuth University Library’s holdings can be checked out; during this time, you will also not be able to access your library account.

These restrictions have already been taken into account in the loan periods for items, so you will not be disadvantaged in any way (e.g., reminder fees).

Items can be returned at the circulation desks throughout the entire migration phase.

The reading rooms remain open and the media from the open stacks remain available for use on-site within the library.

Electronic-media (e-books, electronic journals, databases) are not affected and will remain available as per usual throughout the entire process.

Interlibrary loan requests for monographs will not be possible from 27th July 2026 until 29th September2026. However, interlibrary loans that have already been requested beforehand can still be picked up (until 20th September 2026) and items on loan can still be returned.

Interlibrary loans of articles/copies are not affected by these restrictions.

Purchase suggestions can be submitted to the library throughout the entire migration period. However, between 3rd September 2026 and 29th September 2026 (approximate dates), the library will not be able to place orders with its suppliers; this restriction also applies to the purchase of electronic media. Media cannot be added to the collection and catalogue during this period either.

The most noticeable change will probably be the replacement of the current library catalogue with the discovery system VuFind, which goes hand in hand with the transition to FOLIO. VuFind is a modern online catalogue offering numerous functionalities that will make searching for literature and interlibrary loan even more convenient in the future.

Such a colossal project requires a great deal of preparation: Bayreuth University Library has been preparing for the transition to the new library system for several years now – functionalities in FOLIO are being developed and tested, workflows and configurations are being adjusted, and errors that have crept into the data over the years are being identified and corrected. All of this is not happening at Bayreuth University Library alone, but in many cases also in collaboration with the Bavarian and German library community. (Background information can be found in issue 1/2024 of the library’s newsletter (available in German only)).

In March 2026 – about six months prior to the actual migration – the first test migration will begin, lasting approximately three weeks. The data from the old library system will be transferred to FOLIO to check whether all data has been transferred correctly and can be found in the correct place in the new system. Should this not be the case, the reason for the error must be identified and corrected. Patrons of Bayreuth University Library will not be affected by this first migration test – the current systems will remain in operation as usual during this time.

The second test migration will show how well the library has worked on correcting the errors identified during the first test migration. This process will begin at Bayreuth University Library at the beginning of July. The process is similar to that of the first test migration; the difference is that the data is now being imported into a clone of the actual future FOLIO system. If everything works smoothly, then everything should already be in order. If not, the data must be reviewed again and corrected if necessary. This phase will also not be noticeable to the public.

Things are getting serious: the transition to the FOLIO system is about to begin. For the first time, patrons will be affected by the changes as well. The first visible change will be the temporary suspension of the interlibrary loan service, which will begin approximately two months before the actual transition and during which it will not be possible to request monographs via interlibrary loan.

The actual migration will begin in early September: the old systems will be frozen and the data will then be transferred to FOLIO step by step. The first step will be to migrate the catalogue and acquisition data, which means that it will temporarily not be possible to purchase or catalogue media. In order to minimise the inconvenience for researchers and students, data concerning loans will only be migrated at the very end. Unfortunately, this part cannot be done without any restrictions: no items can be checked out between 21st September 2026. and 29th September 2026.

On 29th September 2026, we will (hopefully) have reason to celebrate: the migration will be complete and the new library system will go live.

FOLIO is an open-source library management system developed by the Open Library Foundation (OLF). It controls core library processes such as media acquisition and lending, interlibrary loans, statistics, and the management of metadata. Unlike commercial library management systems, which are offered by paid providers, FOLIO is developed by a growing international community working in close collaboration. The modular structure and continuous development of FOLIO enable the library management system to meet the current needs of a modern library while also allowing for quick adaption to future requirements.

Since 2016, the development of FOLIO has been driven by a growing international FOLIO community, which includes institutions such as the Library of Congress, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and the National Library of Australia (an overview of the members of the international FOLIO community can be found here). Librarians are primarily involved in “Special Interest Groups” (SIGs), in which they describe their workflows and the resulting software requirements. They also support the technical development of the software, for example by writing scripts or by testing functionalities for errors and usability.

An overview of the FOLIO project on an international level can be found here.

The Bavarian Library Network (BVB) began its journey towards FOLIO in 2020 when a task force (“Task Force FOLIO,” TFF) was established to evaluate the use of FOLIO as a new library management system in Bavarian libraries. Following a positive evaluation of FOLIO by the TFF, the BVB network council – a committee comprising the library directors of both Bavarian university libraries and Bavarian university of applied sciences libraries as well as of the Bavarian State Library – decided in 2022 to prepare for the use of FOLIO in Bavarian libraries.

In the first phase of the project, four “pilot” libraries—the libraries of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Regensburg, and the East Bavarian Technical University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg—made the transition to FOLIO first. In the second phase of the project, which began in 2025, the remaining 25 university libraries and university of applied sciences libraries belonging to the BVB will now be migrated to FOLIO. The project has been receiving financial support from the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts (StMWK) since 2022.

The Head Office of the Bavarian Library Network in Munich is leading the transition of Bavarian libraries to FOLIO. The staff there are supported by the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) and librarians at the individual institutions, who are working together to advance the FOLIO project through their expertise and commitment in working groups at the network level.

Further information on the FOLIO project in the Bavarian Library Network can be found here (German only).

Bayreuth University Library has been preparing for the upcoming system change for some time now. As an organisational framework, an interdepartmental working group was initially set up, which was expanded to the in-house project “FOLIO Migration” in the summer of 2024. Within the project, colleagues from all departments of the library are preparing for the transition to ensure that the change of systems will go about smoothly and that the library’s services can resume immediately after the migration.

Employees of Bayreuth University Library are also involved in Bavarian and nationwide FOLIO working groups. In doing so, they support the development of the project within the community and at the same time can benefit from the experience and knowledge of other colleagues, which will help them when migrating their own library.

Further information on the FOLIO project at Bayreuth University Library can be found here (German only).