FOLIO sets its sights on the future: Bayreuth University Library switches to a new library system

The symbolic ‘launch’ took place on 29 September 2026: Chancellor Dr Nicole Kaiser was the first user to borrow a book via the new system. The successful transition was then celebrated together in the library.

With FOLIO, Bayreuth University Library now uses a platform that brings together numerous tasks for which, in some cases, several systems were previously required. These include, amongst other things, lending, the acquisition of printed and electronic media, interlibrary loans, statistical analyses and metadata management. For students, staff and researchers, this means, above all, a modern technical foundation on which services and processes can be further developed in future.

The switch marks the completion of an extensive project. Staff at the Bayreuth University Library have been preparing for the transition for several years. Functions were developed and tested, workflows adapted, and data sets reviewed and cleaned up. Much of this work was carried out not only on-site in Bayreuth, but also in close collaboration with the Bavarian and German library communities. “With the introduction of FOLIO, we are creating a sustainable foundation for the University Library’s services. The successful migration is the result of several years of collaborative effort by our staff and many partners within the library network,to whom I would like to express my sincere thanks for their contribution to the project ” said Chancellor Dr Nicole Kaiser.

FOLIO is being developed by the Open Library Foundation and is therefore distinct from traditional commercial library management systems. The software is being created by an international community of libraries and partners who jointly develop new features and continuously refine the system. Thanks to its modular structure, the platform can be flexibly adapted to changing requirements. The Bavarian Library Network (BVB) headquarters in Munich is leading the transition of Bavarian libraries to FOLIO. The project is supported by the Leibniz Computing Centre (LRZ) and by the librarians at the participating institutions. The expertise of Bayreuth University Library has also been incorporated into the development and implementation of the system through numerous working groups at network level.

Further information on the new features and functions of FOLIO is available on the University Library’s information page.

• https://www.ub.uni-bayreuth.de/en/infos_zur_ub/FOLIO/index.html