System Migrations: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Two library professionals, a technical services librarian and an Archivist, describe their workflows during a system migration to OCLC Worldshare Management Systems from multiple existing systems at Lincoln Memorial University Carnegie Vincent Library. The migration was difficult at times and had some unexpected outcomes, but the end result was excellent for the students and the faculty of the university. The librarian and archivist provide suggestions to help other librarians and archivists during the process of a migration. They relate the experience to Past Perfect and Exlibris, Alma which were two system migrations they were separately involved in during later employment at new institutions. This case study relates how the two professionals learned from the early migration while accepting new responsibilities at other institutions, where their early experience proved beneficial.