Long Range Plan 2003 - 2007 : Statewide Services for Libraries  

Statewide Services provide an array of services for residents and libraries seeking full-text material in electronic databases or highly current or in-depth information resources in specific subject areas. Great gains have been made since 1997 in these state funded program areas. In fact, most of these programs had not been implemented then. However, the Commonwealth's current economic condition has required funding cuts in FY2002 with additional cuts proposed for FY2003.

Electronic Databases. Through statewide contracts using a combination of state and regional funds, Massachusetts residents and regional member libraries have come to enjoy a number of valuable full-text information resources from commercial database providers. Over the last six years, the Board and Regions have offered first in-library, and then home access to a family of Gale group (formerly Information Access Company) databases. Access to the full text of the Boston Globe has been provided via a grant to the Boston Public Library Statewide Reference and Referral Center. Each of the six regions has contributed to a contract with bigchalk, Inc. for Electric Library, a multimedia product with current news and ready reference, and a large file of images. Most recently, the Boston Public Library Statewide Reference and Referral Center has provided statewide access to approximately 7,000 ebooks through netLibrary, and a Biography reference database from H.W. Wilson. Several of the regions provide additional database products to their own member libraries.

Statewide Reference, Referral and Document Delivery Center. The Boston Public Library (BPL) is the Statewide Reference & Referral Center, providing mediated supplemental reference and information services for regional reference & research centers, and individual regional member libraries in specialized subject areas. The Boston Public Library provides regional member libraries with document delivery services for journal articles. Articles are delivered via telefacsimile and electronic transmission (e.g., Ariel), and by mail.

Specialized Reference Centers. Supplementary reference and research support are provided in the areas of: consumer health, legal information, and business and economic development. Contracts with Treadwell Library at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries and Five Colleges, Inc. (through the W.E.B. Dubois Library at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst) provide support in these respective areas. Treadwell and the Trial Courts respond to reference questions from member libraries; UMass Amherst Library provides the MassBedrock web site, a portal to business and economic development in the Commonwealth.

Statewide Delivery. The physical delivery that supports statewide resource sharing efforts consists of regional delivery systems that interconnect with a cross-state delivery. Based on improvements implemented in mid 2001, a book can now travel between libraries at opposite ends of the state within 24 hours. Cross-state delivery is funded by the Board, and managed by the Boston Public Library.

Statewide Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Net Lender Offset Program. The Statewide ILL Net Lender Offset Program, established under the Strategic Plan encourages resource sharing among libraries by helping to defray the cost of inter-regional ILL transactions. Regional library system members who self-certify that they lend, at no charge, a greater amount of library materials to libraries than they borrow from libraries outside their region are eligible to receive a net lender offset from the Board. Several regions have complementary programs for intra-region net-lending.

Innovation Grants. Grant funds are available for projects that demonstrate innovative uses of technology, interlibrary cooperation or shared service delivery to improve information delivery to library users. There is no set time frame for proposing Innovation Grant ideas. Staff of the Library Development Unit will work with a library on the development of a potential innovative project.

Education And Training. The Board funds training programs for library, region and network staff on a variety of topics, often with a technology focus.