The IHLS Communications Department has created a customizable Canva template so SHARE members can communicate with stakeholders easily and effectively. Using data from the SHARE Data Dashboard and a few simple calculations, you can make a professional and informative flyer to distribute to patrons, board members, students, and other stakeholders. This template includes multiple examples and instructions on how to customize it.

Note: The links below will now direct you to the IHLS website, where you will have to log in to view the data dashboards. If you have bookmarked these links, please update your bookmarks with the new URLs.

 

Exciting News for SHARE Members! Illinois Heartland Library System has just launched three new dashboards to empower SHARE member libraries with valuable insights.

McNaughton Book Leasing for SHARE (by Brodart)SHARE Vendor Demo

Need books? Try collection development made easy – SHAREables Book Leasing!  

Imagine a steady stream of shelf-ready bestsellers for your patrons each month, reducing patron holds and saving staff time.    

SHAREables Book Leasing (formerly McNaughton Book Leasing for SHARE) includes unique packages developed exclusively for SHARE members: a small plan with 5 preselected adult fiction books per month, a large plan with 10 preselected adult fiction books per month, or our *new* premium plan, with a choice to select the titles you want, including the most popular titles or even large print!

Sign up here! 

This is the first-of-its-kind book leasing program for consortia. The program and its pricing are exclusive to SHARE.

MessageBee, the service that sends Polaris notifications to patrons, will be down for scheduled maintenance starting 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. The downtime is expected to last approximately 10 hours. Messages scheduled during the maintenance window will be queued and sent the morning of April 19. Thank you for your patience during this maintenance.

Below are some highlights for Aspen version 26.03. You can also see the full release notes and watch a demo of the update features.

Below is a list of items that have been sent to SHARE Bibliographic Services without any identification markings. If you recognize any of the items as belonging to your library, please contact Assistant SHARE Director Jennifer Baugh. Any items that are not claimed by May 8, 2026, will be posted on the IHLS Exchange listserv on May 11. Please see the SHARE Unmarked and Unclaimed Items policy for more information.

Below are the highlights for the Aspen 26.02 update. You can also view the full release notes and a video demo.

SHARE has an immediate opening for the SHARE Circulation & Resource Sharing Committee. In July, the SHARE Executive Council will also have an opening for a school library representative.    

 

Would you like your catalog to show the number of available copies, the number of patrons on the waitlist, both, or neither? 

If you have an Aspen Administration account, that setting can be found in Aspen Admin under Primary ConfigurationLibrary Systems>Holdings Summary>Show Hold and Copy Counts, then select the option you would prefer.  

With the discontinuation of transit receipts for SHARE members, it has become more difficult for both delivery drivers and member libraries to determine whether items in a transit tub have been processed.

To reduce confusion and ensure smooth daily operations, we are implementing a clear visual process for processed items.