By Corinne on May 15, 2026
Come aboard the Bootstrap 5 train! 🚂 We've got plenty of resources (including a comprehensive Lounge post!) to help you transition your LibGuides pages, A-Z lists, and blogs to this updated interface before the January 2027 deadline.
Back to Basics: What is Bootstrap 5?
Springshare Tools are built on Bootstrap, a framework of CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. The newest version is Bootstrap 5, bringing a more modern look, improved accessibility, updated components, and a more flexible grid system to your Springy-supported pages, like your LibGuides guides, blog posts, and A-Z Databases.
As we continue to add new features to your Springy Tools, our ability to support legacy features lessens – and transitioning LibGuides from Bootstrap 3 to Bootstrap 5 is no exception. To provide the best service possible for active and future features, we must make the difficult decision to stop supporting legacy features. Your questions about the migration process will, of course, be answered by our talented Support Team!
What legacy (Bootstrap 3) features will be phased out?
First things first: You'll still have your A-Z Databases, your guides and pages, your blogs and posts – your carefully curated LibGuides content isn't going anywhere! It's the older UI framework that's being retired.
Say goodbye to the following legacy versions:
- Legacy A-Z
- Legacy Blogs
- Bootstrap 3-based public pages
- Bootstrap 3-based admin pages, where there is an equivalent version in the Bootstrap 5 area of the system
Two dates to keep in mind:
After June 30, 2026: Springshare Support will not be able to assist with general questions or customization troubleshooting for legacy (Bootstrap 3) features. Written documentation will exist until the functionality phases out. Feature requests will only be considered for the Bootstrap 5 version of LibGuides.
After January 31, 2027: Bootstrap 5 goes live for everyone! The Bootstrap 5 versions of your public pages will be activated in your LibGuides system and the corresponding Bootstrap 3 versions of these pages will no longer be available. But you don't have to wait until our deadline! Get ready, coordinate with your team, and make the move on your own timeline at any point before January 31.
🌟 LibAnswers is our next tool moving to Bootstrap 5! The LibAnswers admin side is already using Bootstrap 5 and you can get a jumpstart on transitioning your public LibAnswers pages whenever you're ready.
- Start here: Migrate your LibAnswers public pages to Bootstrap 5
- Watch a training session recording in English or Spanish
- Attend our live training on May 20
We don't yet have a migration deadline for LibAnswers but we'll share it widely once we do!
Springy Tip: Check your code customizations!
Have you gotten this far and you're still thinking, "Okay, but what does this really mean for my LibGuides site?" In short: your existing content and custom code will transition, but may require adjustments to account for some code and component changes from Bootstrap 3 to Bootstrap 5.
Here's an example: Bootstrap 5 introduced a dedicated Accordion component with its own classes (accordion, accordion-item, accordion-header, accordion-body). If you built accordions in your Bootstrap 3 pages using the Panel component, you'll need to make some swaps to use the updated Bootstrap 5 equivalents.
🎥 Watch: Whether your site has code customizations or not, we've got a training session recording for you!
Resources galore to support your LibGuides migration
Head over to the Springshare Lounge to find our comprehensive rundown of the LibGuides migration. The LibGuides Legacy Features Phase Out post reviews which legacy areas will be going away, how to check which version you're currently using, and where to find resources – live, recorded, or self-paced!
For now, we'll highlight a few resources to get you set up for success:
- Dive into our help documentation: Migrate your LibGuides public pages to Bootstrap 5
- Watch training session recordings in English or Spanish
- Attend our live training on May 28
Don't wait for the final boarding call. Start your migration today, and our Support Team will be right there with you on the journey.