June 15, 2004

The Library of Michigan today announced the State Administrative Board had recently approved two contracts - one with Innovative Interfaces, Inc. and the other with the Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) - for development and operation of the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) search gateway for all Michigan residents and MeLCat, the statewide resource-sharing program for all Michigan libraries.

Participation in MeLCat will be voluntary, and Innovative and MLC will help Michigan's libraries implement this new model for statewide resource sharing.  The MeL gateway and MeLCat are key components of the multi-year expansion plan for the Michigan eLibrary (http://mel.org).

Currently, the Michigan eLibrary includes a collection of Internet sites selected by librarians; Library of Michigan-funded databases of magazines, newspapers and electronic books; and a beginning collection of digitized local materials.  Starting this month, the project with Innovative Interfaces will lay the groundwork for adding the following components to the Michigan eLibrary:

• A statewide online union catalog, with combined holdings of all participating Michigan libraries (expected to eventually include approximately 12 million unique titles representing 48 million items);
   
• A statewide gateway to library information, with a single search interface for residents to access all MeL databases, the MeL Internet collection, digitized collections and the statewide online catalog; and
   
• A resource-sharing system that will allow Michigan library patrons in good standing at a participating library to place online requests for items (without assistance from library staff) and pick up the materials at their local libraries. 

State Librarian Christie Pearson Brandau said Innovative's software, guidance and expertise and MLC's management of the implementation are essential to the successful launch and growth of the MeL gateway and MeLCat.  "Innovative and MLC are the perfect partners to take the Michigan eLibrary to the next level in customer service," she said.

"If Michigan residents want to be effectively prepared to live and work in the 21st-century economy, equal access to the best information - wherever it resides - is essential," said Brandau.  "By teaming with MLC and Innovative, we will eventually be able to open the virtual door to many unique, local library resources.  This access, while seamless to the user, brings with it a brand new world of possibility."

"We're excited to be the automation partner in this collaboration which will provide unprecedented library access to every citizen statewide," said Jerry Kline, chairman and CEO of Innovative Interfaces.

The first phase of the statewide, online library catalog is set to go live by January 2005 with the total holdings of approximately 50 libraries included.  More libraries' holdings will be added quarterly over the next several years.

Additionally in January 2005, the "face" of MeL will change when the new statewide gateway goes live.   Patrons will be able to conduct searches across all MeL components, rather than performing separate searches in the MeL databases, the MeL Internet collection, the digitized collections and the statewide online catalog. 

"This major project to expand statewide library cooperation and to provide equitable access to information resources across Michigan has taken several years - and the efforts of many dedicated people - to design," said Randy Dykhuis, executive director of the Michigan Library Consortium.   "It is a significant achievement of Michigan's librarians, with the leadership of Christie Brandau, that our dreams are finally becoming a reality.  MLC is proud to be a partner in this exciting project."

For more information about the MeLCat project time line, visit www.michiganelibrary.org.

The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).  Dedicated to enriching the quality of life for Michigan residents by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Michigan Historical Center, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Celebrating 25 years of partnership with the library community, Innovative Interfaces (www.iii.com) is a leader in providing Web-powered, Java-based automated library systems.  Its flagship product offering, Millennium, is an acknowledged market leader installed in thousands of libraries in 40 countries around the world.  The company is headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., with offices in Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Korea, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

The Michigan Library Consortium is a non-profit membership organization comprised of all types of libraries in Michigan.  A convenient, single point of contact for training, support and group purchasing of library products and services, MLC saves member libraries time and money.  For more information, visit www.mlc.lib.mi.us.

CONTACTS:

Sarah Lapshan, History, Arts and Libraries - (517) 241-1736, slapshan@michigan.gov

Randy Dykhuis, Michigan Library Consortium - (800) 530-9019, ext. 19

Gene Shimshock, Innovative Interfaces - (510) 655-6200, pr@iii.com 

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.