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AccessMichigan: The Challenges and Rewards of Statewide Library Cooperation

Slide 5 of 17

The harmonic convergence

LSCA becomes LSTA

The birth of the E-rate

Margo Crist’s planning document for MLA

Michigan Telecommunications Summit

New management at LM, MLC; new directors at several academic and public libraries

The Gates Library Foundation

OK, I became state librarian in August, 1996, and on September 30, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Bill, which included the first major renovation of the Library Services and Construction Act since 1980. Congress threw out the focus on public libraries, discontinued the set-aside programs, and replaced construction with technology as a primary focus of the funding. It also specifically encouraged multi-type library cooperation. This untied the purse strings of the federal funds and untied the hands of the state librarians to use the money to have a stronger role in library development.

At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission was beginning the process of rolling out the e-rate. This reduction in telecommunications costs for public libraries and schools would make it possible for thousands of schools and libraries to get online more quickly and with higher quality connections. Now we all know that getting everyone lined up for e-rate funding was a bear, but the impact has been enormous.

1996 Telecommunications Summit, sponsored by MLA, Michigan Information Network

Describe Margo’s document, especially its focus on how families would get information in the future.

New directors allowed us to get around some of the old baggage and ask different questions.

GLF: big opportunity for public libraries. Unfortunately at this point, nothing for school or academic libraries, including community colleges