Internet Outage Handled by TLN Team

On Monday, November 11, 2024, AT&T experienced an outage that took down the wide area network (WAN) for The Library Network. This outage caused TLN and member libraries to have no internet, no phone service, and/or no functioning catalog until this issue was resolved on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

This outage was not caused by any actions taken by TLN staff. There is evidence of a L2 loop along the network which caused an outage that was centered in Downtown Detroit. This was not a cyber-attack. This event underlines the critical importance of network and technology outage preparedness. TLN was well prepared with back-up plans to our back-up plans. Power was generated to ensure a 24/7 operation and redundant fiber circuits for hosted data availability. Despite how well prepared we were, TLN and the member libraries were all impacted. The TLN Technology Team will continue to build upon its many guardrails to not only harden but enhance resiliency.

TLN staff provided exceptional service to work and resolve this issue. We thank the TLN staff that were involved in mitigating this situation. We thank our Shared Automated System Team, led by SAS Coordinator Anne Neville, in helping provide support and assistance. We additionally applaud the efforts taken by the Technology Services Department, led by Technology Services Manager Damon Dye, to troubleshoot and address the outage.

“This week has been busy to say the least,” says Dye. “This outage proved to be a problem throughout our office and member libraries, but I’m proud of the service and skill that our Technology Team provided. We would not be able to do what we do without the individuals who worked tirelessly to address this critical issue.”

Additionally, we appreciate the efforts, support, and patience provided by our member libraries while experiencing this outage. We understand the difficulty that this outage provided and thank you for patience and understanding.