The
celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Maine Regional Library System
began last January in the State Capitol’s Hall of Flags. Senate President
(and Freeport Library Director) Beth Edmonds introduced John
Barden, the new director of the Maine Law and Legislative Reference
Library.
One of the highlights of the Maine Libraries Week event was the introduction
of Maine humorist Tim Sample, who, along with Rockport Public
Library Director Molly Larson, stars in a new DVD entitled
“The Marvels of MARVEL! Maine’s Virtual Library."
Thousands of magazines,
newspapers, and reference books
are available anywhere in the State of Maine through the online resources of
MARVEL! as part of the Maine InfoNet Databases project, funded by the Maine
Legislature. Maine InfoNet is a partnership of Maine libraries dedicated to
improving information and library service to all Mainers through online systems
and technology. Supported by the Maine State Library and the University of Maine
System, it develops and manages services that unite electronic and physical
resources to form a digital library for Maine. Every Maine citizen has access
to MARVEL.
There has been much written in recent months about the need for organizations
to consolidate, regionalize, and collaborated. The Maine Regional Library System
is one such entity that has successfully done this for the past 35 years.
During the reception at the Hall of Flags this week, a legislator asked just
what the
regional system was designed to do. Have you ever wondered what to do when a
book or a magazine article you wanted was not available at your local library?
Here is one way that the regional library system comes into the equation. You
should ask your librarian to find the item through interlibrary loan. Approximately
a million items were shipped to various libraries over the course of this past
year. Maine citizens are the beneficiaries of this outstanding service.
Interlibrary loan is just one of the many benefits provided
to Maine citizens and libraries under the Maine Regional Library System. Besides
interlibrary loan, the system includes a library purchasing cooperative with
discounts on books, furniture and equipment; consulting services for administration,
continuing education, collections, and technology; and cooperative projects
among libraries.
The System also provides for an Area Reference and Resource Center in each of
three library districts, Northeastern, Central and Southern. The Bangor and
Portland public libraries and the Maine State Library in Augusta offer interlibrary
loan, information services, and free district cards in their respective districts.
Over 1,000 libraries have joined the System, ranging from tiny island libraries
to large urban libraries. Not only public libraries are eligible, but also hospital,
academic, school and special libraries. Although most states have regional library
systems, Maine’s Regional Library System had a special advantage from
its beginnings back in 1973.
While many states organized only their public libraries, Maine included all
types of libraries in its regional system. The system was established by Public
Law 626 and is administered by the Maine State Library in Augusta.
Further information: http://www.maine.gov/msl/libs/districts/