SPL details hotspots, cybersecurity upgrades and planned Polaris ILS cutover this fall

At a Feb. 19 committee briefing, Seattle Public Library staff described investments in technology and online services funded in part by the 2019 levy and private support, and outlined steps to improve digital access and system resilience.

Rick Sheridan, director of institutional and strategic advancement, said technology funding covers public computers, broadband network infrastructure, mobile app development, hotspots and cybersecurity staff. Sheridan said the library’s hotspot program consists of roughly 1,100 public devices (the transcript speaker corrected an initial figure) that were checked out over 7,000 times in 2025, representing a 38% growth since 2020; staff reported more than 1,400 holds on hotspots at the time of the presentation and an outreach pool of roughly 300 devices shared with community partners.

Sheridan and Chief Librarian Tom Fay discussed several technology priorities: a new Polaris integrated library system (ILS) to replace the vendor‑unsupported Horizon platform, scheduled to go live later this fall with an expected three‑day cutover window; multi-year network switch investments and a recently hired cybersecurity analyst following a 2024 ransomware attack; and a library mobile app released in 2025 with over 25,000 downloads.

Sheridan described the ransomware incident as having accelerated investment in digital security and said the library invested approximately $2,000,000 in network switch and related improvements spread over several years. Staff also said they are working with statewide library directors and national groups to address rising e‑material licensing costs and the long-term risk that subscription-only digital models pose to preservation and access.