Can't see this email? Click here to view this message in a browser window.

April 29, 2025
Hosting Solutions & Library Consulting

POWER Library icon
Links Generator Now Includes Single Sign-On (SSO) Notice!
Does my school have access to POWER Library via SSO?
The Links Generator has been updated to provide a notice to schools that have access to POWER Library via Single Sign-On (SSO). The notice will indicate from which platforms your district has access - ClassLink, Clever, and/or Google. 
 
Below is an example of the notice that will be presented to schools that have access via SSO. 
 
See the notice presented for your school? Log into the platform with your school account and find the POWER Library app.
 
Don't see the notice? If you don't see the notice presented and are interested in SSO, please contact HSLC Support. 
Why is SSO so great? SSO allows students to sign-in and access POWER Library from inside the school AND from home and not be prompted for a library card number.
Can Your School Access POWER Library via SSO? Check Now!

E-Book Colleciton icon
Enhanced E-Book Collection Now Available! 
Three E-Book Collections in One Place!
Users can now search across all three e-book platforms (EBSCO E-Books, GALE E-Books, and ProQuest E-Book Central) in one place. 
 
What Do Libraries Need to Do?
If your library links directly to the E-Book Collection (on your website, LMS, etc.), you’ll need to update that link. 
Get the new link in the Links Generator now!
 
Will Access to Individual Platforms Still Be Available?
Yes - for now. Direct access to EBSCO E-Books, GALE E-Books, and ProQuest E-Book Central platforms will remain available through June 30, 2025. After that, with full access available through the enhanced E-Book Collection, separate e-resources will no longer be available.
 
Anything Else To Know?
Local usage statistics will not be reported for usage of the E-Book Collection. These updates to the E-Book Collection will greatly improve the user experience by providing a single resource whereby all major e-book platforms in POWER Library will be consolidated for easy discovery and access. While the focus of the update is to improve the user experience, it is made possible because OCL's reporting requirements no longer mandate individual libraries to submit e-resource statistics.
Try the Enhanced E-Book Collection Now!

PA Photos and Documents icon
Lending Policy in SHAREit 
What did Hub Shipping do?
Each library’s account in SHAREit has a Lending Policy associated with it. 
 
A library’s Lending Policy defines the policies associated with lending your library’s materials through interlibrary loan – in other words, that’s where a library designates what formats it will lend via ILL and whether or not they are eligible for renewal. 
 
The Lending Policy is also used to determine due dates for items supplied.
 
Historically, a participating library has been in charge of its Lending Policy. And as long as your loan period was at least the consortium minimum of 35 days, everything was copacetic. 
 
Many of our participant libraries have never even looked at or touched their Lending Policy in SHAREit since migrating over in 2016. And, until we implemented the Hub Shipping model, this actually led to very few consequences, relatively speaking. 
 
Hub Shipping changed that. 
 
To avoid the extra transit time required by the Hub Shipping model impacting the length of the patron loan, it was determined that the default cooperative loan period needed to be raised to 42 days. 
 
That change was more than a year ago. In the interim, that information was announced several times. Additionally, multiple reminders were issued to libraries that they needed to update their Lending Policy to reflect the change. 
 
Unfortunately, many of our participants have not done so. This has created an added layer of frustration to the already challenging shipping situation we are currently in – materials are arriving to the borrower just days before they’re due back to the lender.  
 
So the time has come, and we performed the change for you. 
 
Rather, yesterday, Auto-Graphics ran a script that hit every library’s Lending Policy. And if your Lending Policy indicated that your library does lend a format – you have it set to YES – the loan period was automatically set to 42 days UNLESS YOU ALREADY HAD IT SET TO A NUMBER HIGHER THAN 42 DAYS.  
 
Renewals were not touched – they are still at the discretion of the loaning library, both whether the item is eligible and for how long. 
 
If you have any questions about any of this – Lending Policy, Hub Shipping, or any other Access PA issue – please contact HSLC Support.
Questions? Please Contact Support!

POWER Library icon
Invoices for 2025-26 Are In The Mail
POWER Library Annual Technology Support Fee Payment Due July 16
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who has already paid for 25-26! These payments help HSLC cover costs during the transition from one fiscal year to the next while we await Library Access funding appropriations. 

Did you know?
The Access Pennsylvania and POWER Library programs are underwritten with Pennsylvania Department of Education and Federal grant funding. These funds cover most of the resources (staff, networks, hardware, and software) used to offer these services at no cost to Pennsylvania taxpayers. PDE, through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, contracts with HSLC for basic services that comprise the Access PA/POWER Library programs. The annual technology support fee covers a portion of staff costs, enhanced support, training, and custom programming for participating libraries. Technology support fees also underwrite grant administration costs, capital expenses for new hardware, and other unbudgeted expenses in support of the Access PA/POWER Library program.
 
Attention: Schools
Please note that for schools, invoices were mostly mailed to the district office for consolidated payment. If you need a copy of your invoice, please contact HSLC support at support@hslc.org.
 
We accept payments online
Please note that the fee may be paid via credit card on the HSLC website at: https://hslc.org/power-participants/payments/ 
Please note that there are no fees added for paying via credit card. 
Pay Via Credit Card

New Job? Retiring?
Staff Changes? Please Let Us Know!
Help us keep the participant directory accurate!
Moving to a new school, retiring, or otherwise leaving your current position? Please let us know! Keeping us updated with contact changes ensures email lists are kept current and newsletters and invoices issued by HSLC are received.  
Please Report Contact Updates to HSLC!

Do You Need Support? We Are Here to Help!

If you need support, please use one of the options provided below to contact HSLC. 

Complete the POWER Library Support Form
Email us at support@hslc.org
Call us at 215-222-1532
Get Support!

We are social!
Connect with us
facebook-noshare social icon
twitter-noshare social icon
instagram-noshare social icon

Click here to unsubscribe

POWER Library
This project is made possible in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Library Access funds administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

POWER Library is hosted by HSLC
3600 Market St., Suite 550
Philadelphia, PA 19104