While many of you know KentLINK as the tool you use to search for books, it’s so much more to the faculty and staff of University Libraries. For roughly 30 years, KentLINK has been the technical backbone of services offered through the library. KentLINK is used to purchase, catalog, locate and check out materials. Additionally, if a resource cannot be found in one of our libraries, KentLINK connects users to OhioLINK to search other libraries throughout the state. 

In August 2023, University Libraries embarked on a project to replace KentLINK in concert with every OhioLINK institution. We are very excited to share that our new library system will go live on June 23, 2025. This modern, cloud-based system offers a host of benefits to support 21st-century teaching, learning and research: 

• A unified search environment for books, journals and media with a single access point for electronic resources. 
• Simplified resource sharing through combining local, OhioLINK and interlibrary loan (ILL) requests into a single user interface. 
• Streamlined day-to-day operations for library staff. 
• Enhanced stability and security. 
• Seamless integration with Canvas (coming Spring 2026). 

As you might suspect, completing this project will temporarily affect library services throughout the transition; however, University Libraries ensures that patrons will be minimally inconvenienced. Key dates for the project (2025) are listed below: 

• May 23 – OhioLINK lending freeze 
  • Borrowing from other Ohio libraries is temporarily suspended 
  • Requests made before this date will be fulfilled 
  • Users can continue borrowing between Kent State libraries (i.e. Kent campus and regional campuses or between regional campuses) 
• June 10 – KentLINK lending freeze 
  • Borrowing materials from any Kent State library is temporarily suspended 
• June 23 – Go LIVE! 
  • Circulation resumes for Kent State libraries 
  • New online user interface is introduced to the Kent State community 
• June 25 – OhioLINK lending resumes 
  • Users are able to request materials from other Ohio libraries