Londoners can once again peruse the London Public Library's catalogue and return books.
Library officials announced the return of the online catalogue, My Account system that allows people to place books on hold, and the ability to return borrowed items late Wednesday.
The catalogue and lending services had been down since December 13 when hackers took out the London Public Library systems in a brazen cyberattack.
"We want to thank you so much for holding on to your borrowed items as we worked to restore our systems and to manage the backlog," Library officials said in a statement. "We appreciate your patience and we understand how frustrating it has been to be without the ability to place holds, see My Account, and use the library catalogue."
The cyberattack knocked out the library's website, online catalogue, computers, public Wi-Fi, digital resources, and ability to allow users to place items on hold. Three of the library's 16 branches were also closed as a result. They were reopened on January 2.
Cybersecurity experts hired in the wake of the online breach have been slowly restoring the library's systems ever since. They also determined that while no patron data was obtained, the personal information of some library employees was compromised.
For those who have been holding on to overdue books, the library extended the due dates and no longer issues overdue fines.
"There is no need to worry if you are not able to return your items immediately," Library officials added. "You can now check My Account for a list of items that you have borrowed and their due dates."
Work to restore the library's full website, Book Club in a Bag, visiting library service, and interlibrary loan services is ongoing.
