Library App: App status
February 29, 2024
The Winnipeg Public Library app has now been restored.
Customers who still have the app installed on their device should see immediate access restored when opening the app. For customers who removed the app from their phones, it can be reinstalled from either the Google Play or Apple app stores.
We have heard and understand your frustrations during this outage and apologize for the inconvenience it caused.
Please note that it is the Winnipeg Public Library app that was affected and not the apps for services such as Libby (Overdrive), Hoopla, or other Digital Library Services.
What happened with the app?
The app's ability to connect to our main catalogue servers was broken. That means that some features appeared to work, when in fact they were showing old, outdated information. For example, you may have seen books that you have returned showing up as checked out, or holds showing as 'ready for pickup' when you had checked them out already. These issues have now been resolved.
Will the app continue to be available or will this happen again?
The app has been restored to a stable state and will remain that way. The outage was due to a legal dispute which has now been resolved, so no further outage is expected.
In addition to restoring the existing app, our catalogue vendor continues to work at full speed to build a new, replacement app which will be released sometime in 2024. The replacement app will be an upgrade for the current app and will have exciting new features that customers have been requesting for years. We will update this page when information is available.
How to set up quick access to the Library catalogue on your mobile device
- Scan this QR code to open the library catalogue on your mobile device, OR click on this link t.ly/YQka3
- Use the instructions and screenshots in this guide to add the site as a saved app on your homescreen (there are separate instructions for Apple (iPhone/iPad) and Android (Pixel/Samsung/etc)
- Login, browse, and enjoy. Find Tips and tricks on our mobile catalogue page guide.
A statement from SirsiDynix regarding the library’s mobile app outage, shared December 2023:
SirsiDynix is the owner of your library’s mobile application. However, another vendor controls the access of the app. Unfortunately, they have unexpectedly disabled the app, rendering it inoperable.
As an immediate solution, we are working with your library to enable mobile searching of the catalog via the library’s website. This allows many of the core search features of the mobile app to be available on your mobile devices. You can use the URL below to access this capability:
Winnipeg Public Library catalogue
We have also been aggressively developing an entirely new, next-generation mobile app for your library. While it is not yet available for general use, we anticipate it will be ready in the next few months. This app will deliver the functionality you enjoyed in the original app, along with many new features.
We regret any inconvenience this has caused you. Please know that your library had absolutely no way of anticipating this situation, and we hope you’ll be understanding as we work through this difficult, interim period.
Bill Davison
Chief Executive Officer
SirsiDynix