Library vendors have made several announcements recently, including many during the recent American Library Association (ALA) conference in Philadelphia at the end of June. This is some of the recent news:

ALA has launched ala.org/accessibility, a new portal offering access to free “resources and tools to support accessible online content, digital accessibility strategies, and continued learning.” Last spring, the Federal Register published the U.S. Department of Justice’s final rule on Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability, which includes new requirements for state and local governments—according to ALA, this includes 85 percent of all U.S. libraries. State and local governments serving populations larger than 50,000 people have until April 24, 2026 to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, while governments serving populations of fewer than 50,000 people have until April 24, 2027 to comply.

ByWater Solutions—provider of migration, hosting, training, support, and development services for open-source library systems including Koha ILS and Aspen Discovery—is in the process of implementing CloudFlare services for all of its Koha and Aspen customers to combat a significant increase in artificial intelligence (AI) bots scraping open databases across the internet, causing site slowdowns. ByWater cofounder and CRO Nathan Curulla told LJ that CloudFlare services have been activated for 95 percent of the company’s Aspen libraries, and more than half of its Koha libraries, and that ByWater has been actively reaching out to its customers to explain the program.

LaptopsAnytime has launched BrAIny, a locally inferenced generative AI tool that leverages open-source AI models and chatbots such as DeepSeek, Gemma, and Qwen. Library patrons can access these open-source tools via BrAInySuite using a library PC, a LaptopsAnytime checkout kiosk computer, or—depending on the library’s contract—a BYOD laptop or other device using the library’s Wi-Fi or a PC logged into the library’s network remotely. Patrons can use the open-source AI solution in similar ways to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT without incurring price per user subscription costs.

Gale has partnered with GetSetUp to offer public libraries live and on-demand classes, videos, and articles on technology, wellness, hobbies, travel, cooking, retirement planning, and more for older adults. Gale Presents: GetSetUp features courses led by adults 55 and older, with a peer format designed to create a welcoming and relatable environment. “GetSetUp supports our health literacy initiatives and helps us address the epidemic of loneliness among older adults,” Suzy Murray, electronic resources selection specialist at Sacramento Public Library, said in a Gale announcement. “The live classes are fantastic, and the instructors are experts in their fields, often in the same age range as our patrons, which makes the experience even more relatable. The breadth of content—from health topics to technology help to the arts—means there’s always something new for our community and opportunities for social engagement. It’s a unique resource that truly helps us connect with older adults in meaningful ways.”

OCLC announced that it has incorporated AI, machine learning, and advanced data analysis into its smart fulfillment features. These latest enhancements optimize interlibrary loan (ILL) processes. The new enhancements include “intelligent timing” which identifies lenders most likely to fulfill orders quickly, enabling libraries to deliver items faster while reducing staff workloads. In addition, the features include knowledge base coverage checks, which automatically decline copy requests that fall outside a library’s WorldCat knowledge base coverage range and license terms. Separately, OCLC announced that 53 new libraries around the world have signed on to migrate to its cloud-based library services platform WorldShare Management Services during the past year, including 20 libraries in the U.S. and Canada. “Our platform is continually enhanced through ongoing communication and partnership with our libraries,” OCLC Chief Product Officer Mary Sauer-Games said in an announcement. “The result is an advanced platform that continues to grow to support student success and meet the complex and evolving challenges of modern libraries.”

Baker & Taylor and Innovative Interfaces, a Clarivate company, have announced new steps in their partnership that will simplify ebook purchasing workflows and offer discounts to their library customers. Innovative libraries can now purchase ebooks through their existing print book acquisition processes, and will gain access to Baker & Taylor’s new discounting model, offering discounts of up to 25 percent on ebook list prices. In addition, Baker & Taylor’s Boundless e-media discovery, reading, and listening platform has been embedded within Innovative’s Vega Mobile platform, enabling a more seamless discovery and access experience for patrons. And the companies have announced a joint commitment to provide improved reporting that merges print and ebook transaction data to help libraries better understand usage trends and balance collections across formats.

Separately, OverDrive and Clarivate announced a collaboration that will enable deep integration of OverDrive’s Libby, Kanopy, and Sora platforms with Clarivate/Innovative Interfaces’s Vega Discovery service.

And Clarivate announced renewed support for the nonpartisan advocacy organization EveryLibrary through 2026. John Chrastka, executive director at EveryLibrary, said: “Clarivate’s support has allowed us to move several important projects forward, including our new report focusing on academic institutional accreditation standards and the future of academic libraries. We have also been able to convene discussions about higher education policy at national conferences and in professional journals. Their commitment helps us help library leaders anticipate change and engage for the future.”

The Library Corporation (TLC) announced the upcoming release of Library•Solution 5.8, which will feature a fully mobile adaptive public access catalog enabling patrons to search the catalog, pay fines, and register for library cards directly from their mobile browser. The update also includes PAC color customization that will enable libraries and schools to align the colors of their catalog interface with their organizational branding.

BiblioCommons is working on three AI initiatives, including an AI conversational tool that will answer common questions such as “how do I get a library card,” an AI-powered catalog discovery tool enabling patrons to describe a mood or a book and receive a carousel of suggested titles, and a tool that will generate AI-summarized reviews. Separately, BiblioCommons has introduced a suite of new enhancements, including “Frictionless Onboarding” designed to enable users to log in to library websites with one click; a Browse and Discover homepage, first available in BiblioCore last year and now available in BiblioApps; and enhanced Content Promotions that surface contextual recommendations including events, blogs, and online resources directly on the search results and title record pages.

EBSCO Information Services announced the recipients of its 2025 EBSCO Solar Grants, supporting libraries that are adopting solar energy and committing to creating sustainable spaces for their communities. This year’s recipients were Accra Technical University in Accra, Ghana; Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn, NY; Patten Free Library in Bath, ME; and Wolfe County Public Library in Campton, KY, which will share a total of $300,000 to help offset the costs of solar panel installations. Separately, the company announced the recipients of the 2025 John Cotton Dana Awards for innovation in library marketing. This year’s winners were: the Gail Borden Public Library District, Elgin, IL, for its Violins of Hope Chicago: Elgin Collaborative exhibition; Hamilton East Public Library, Noblesville, IN, for the Show Your Library Card and Save: Library Card Sign-Up Month 2024 campaign; the Hartford Public Library, CT, for its Time to Celebrate: Hartford Public Library’s 250 Years of History campaign; the Spring Lake District Library, MI, for the SLDL Refresh Project; the Stow–Munroe Falls Public Library, OH, for its All E All Free Campaign; the Community Library, Ketchum, ID, for A Little Book of Big Stories testimonial campaign; Westmount Public Library, Quebec, Canada for its 125 Years, Let’s Celebrate! anniversary campaign; and Worcester Public Library, MA, for March Meowness: A Community-Driven Library Communication/Engagement Campaign.

Library app provider SOLUS announced a full integration with OCLC’s cloudLibrary, enabling users to discover, borrow, read, and listen to cloudLibrary ebooks and eAudiobooks within the SOLUS app. The SOLUS app has also recently launched a remote lock feature for room reservations and access; push notifications in almost 50 languages; full integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay via Stripe; and a feature that enables libraries to embed SoundCloud streams, YouTube videos, and social media content within menus.

Bibliotheca announced a new integration of its quickConnect platform with Springshare’s LibCal event management tool, offering library customers an enhanced way to promote programs and manage events. The integration offers real time updates and synchronization to ensure that event details are always current.

The Internet Archive announced that its Wayback Machine project is projected to hit a milestone of 1 trillion web pages archived by October 2025. The not-for-profit organization will be celebrating the milestone with a party at its San Francisco headquarters on October 22, and will include a livestream of the event.

Online crafting and learning platform Creativebug has been acquired by Golden Peak Media, parent company of Artists Network, Interweave, Sew Daily, and Quilting Daily, and one of the largest media companies serving arts and crafts enthusiasts in the United States. Creativebug’s previous owner, the national retail chain JOANN Stores, filed for bankruptcy in January and has since been liquidated.