How We’re Entering 2025: A Letter from Lucy Harrison

I hope everyone had a safe, relaxing, and rejuvenating winter break. I’m happy to report that GALILEO is in good shape as we start the new year – and it’s going to be a busy one!

Current Plans

– We are in the final stretch of our ongoing project to migrate the university system libraries to a new services platform, and we also have several other major developments in the works.

– Like everyone else, we’re experimenting with AI and how it might help us provide a better experience – with mixed results so far. We know we need to simplify and streamline the GALILEO search options for our youngest users, and we are working with a committee on how best to approach that.

– We’re also in the process of making sure that all our websites are compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA and have added a new “Accessibility” link to our footers with an option to report any issues.

– We also got a partial restoration of some state funding that was cut a while back, so we are hoping to soon hire a position that will allow us to significantly increase our training capability – our first new employee in several years!

Projects Up Next

While we have a good plans – and GREAT people to carry them out – we know that the future is always uncertain. As GALILEO enters its fourth decade of providing excellent service to libraries in Georgia, we are constantly looking at new challenges and opportunities.

As the USG migration to FOLIO and OpenRS rolls out this summer and fall, we’ll be looking for our next big projects. The GALILEO survey gave us some great insights, but we are always open to more suggestions on how to improve.

Whether it’s a new database suggestion, or an idea on how to improve our search interface, or a process that isn’t working as smoothly as you’d like, please reach out to us – either on the web, or when you see us at a conference or at a training.

Happy New Year to you all!

– Lucy Harrison, executive director, GALILEO