Recognizing years of excellent service provided by the contracting centers at Quincy and Wellesley, Executive Director Greg Pronevitz commented,  “Current services are outstanding, and the decision is not a reflection on their quality.  This change enables MLS to reduce costs and to coordinate multiple related services.”

In recommending the transition, the Resource Sharing Committee asked that MLS realize cost savings; improve efficiencies; address network load balance; and evaluate material types borrowed to reduce redundancy.  MLS is also charged with applying cost savings to reducing barriers to ILL services and examining alternatives to traditional ILL, such as on-demand printing.

A transition timetable was also adopted.  MLS libraries can look forward to working with our current ILL centers through June 2014.

Thanks to the Resource Sharing Committee for their deliberations.  They are:  Megan Allen, Anne Berard, Susan Ciccone, Amy Hart, Tom Corbett, Elinor Hernon, Deborah Hersch, Amy Lewontin, Ryan Livergood, Sharon Lux, Margot Malachowski, Susan Raidy-Klein, Chris Steinhauser, Evan Simpson, Giselle Stevens, and Jeannie Vander Pyl.

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The Bylaws Committee is a standing committee that meets on an as needed basis to discuss changes to bylaws.  The committee presents proposed changes to the Board for discussion.

The Resource Sharing Advisory Committee:

• Informs decision making in light of the convergence of resource sharing with collaborative collection development.
• Advises on effective alignment of MLS services with other organizations involved in resource sharing.
• Provides input during a transition from traditional interlibrary loan toward a more efficient, lower cost model for service.

If you would like contribute to either committee, please respond by completing this brief survey.

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Resource Sharing Unbound: Directions for Massachusetts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts

HOSTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS AND THE MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY SYSTEM

Electronic resources provide an opportunity and a challenge for libraries of all types.  Massachusetts residents have traditionally enjoyed a vigorous sharing environment.  Today’s structure for the licensing and delivery of e-content are challenges to sharing.  How will we proactively address the challenges posed by e-content?

Resource Sharing Unbound brings together academic, public, school and special libraries to seek a vision and potential solutions to that urgent question.

Leaders in our field will launch the exploration. Our keynote speaker is James G. Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian, Columbia University.

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• Assess the ongoing value of mediated interlibrary loan and document delivery to member libraries
• Provide recommendations to the MLS board on future contracts and requests for proposals or service development

The task force will convene in May. Members will represent libraries from across the state and of varying sizes and types.

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Journal articles are available through the Illiad request system at http://illiad.bpl.org

Users sign in to their illiad accounts.  If they do not have their account sign in, they can get it from Susan Applegate, 617-859-2332, sapplegate@bpl.org

A page of frequently asked questions has been added to the MLS website at http://www.masslibsystem.org/ill-information/

For further information contact:

Quincy office, Jim Jaquette at 617-376-1319 / quill@ocln.org

Wellesley office,  Sue Kaler at 781-235-1610, x1112 / skaler@minlib.net

Document delivery: Boston Public Library, Susan Applegate, 617-859-2332 / sapplegate@bpl.org

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