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AccessMichigan: The Challenges and Rewards of Statewide Library Cooperation

Slide 6 of 17

Building the community vision

• “The only cure for the problems of democracy is more democracy!” Al Smith
• OPLIN, INFOhio, and OhioLINK as models
• Open meetings throughout the state
• Carolyn and George give the vision flesh
• The role of the Michigan Library Consortium

Notes:

I love this quote from Al Smith, and I use it a lot. Librarians looking longingly over the border at what Ohio had been able to accomplish.

Series of a dozen meetings around the state, including the Upper Peninsula, asking for input on how to apply the new LSTA funds. Gave people a chance to present their ideas, share ideas with other members of the library community, and to build momentum for these ideas. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they said: they wanted to make the program easier to use; they wanted less paperwork and reporting; and they wanted to see some statewide initiatives.

But it took two people to really put the whole thing in focus. Describe Carolyn McCullough’s call for support for under-funded libraries, and George Bishop’s forceful comments on what school students need.

MLC: had the technical people, had been working on a document delivery system for academic libraries, saw need for a more complete system. Made a proposal for a statewide FirstSearch system.