A significant system outage has struck the London Public Library, disrupting electronic borrowing and rendering the website inaccessible.
A significant system outage has struck the London Public Library, disrupting electronic borrowing and rendering the website inaccessible. Authorities are investigating the incident as a potential cyberattack, intensifying concerns over the disruption of essential services.
At the Central branch downtown, the largest among the city’s 16-library system, the shutdown's impact was evident. Patrons who visited on Thursday discovered that its computers and other technological services were offline.
The library is currently utilizing its social media platforms for public communication. According to Ciccone, the incident is under investigation by experts, and its impact is yet to be determined.
“All I can say at this point is that I know we're a critical resource for a lot of Londoners, but we will keep them up-to-date as much as we can," said library CEO Michael Ciccone.
Limited information was shared; however, numerous essential services, including public computers and Wi-Fi - which for some patrons, are their sole means of internet access - have been disabled.
In a Thursday morning statement, library authorities said, “We expect that it could take some time to restore our systems.”
As of Thursday, the following changes have been implemented for library users:
- In-person borrowing, programs, and library spaces remain accessible.
- The Carson, Glanworth, and Lambeth branches will remain closed until at least next week.
- Services such as the online catalogue, library website, public computers and printing, email, Wi-Fi, digital resources, and the ability to place holds on items are currently unavailable.
- Virtual programs conducted over Zoom have been cancelled.
- One-on-one READ and Beyond The Book mentor programs and one-on-one volunteer mentor programs continue as scheduled.
- Calls made to library phone numbers are met with an automated “not available” message.
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