Libraries provide
- Pre-school activities & programs that promote reading for E-12
- Materials for research both personal interest and schooling at all levels
- Recreational reading and listening
- Out-reach services to prisons, rest homes, the handicapped or homebound
- Through interlibrary loan materials and information not at the local library
Regional Library Systems provide services to local libraries
- Hub for delivery and interlibrary loan
- Centralized regional catalog or access
- Consulting in services and projects
Multi-County, Multi-Type Library Systems provide services
- Promote sharing of resources
- Provide in-service, staff development training
- Consult and inform on library issues for all types of libraries
- Assist with inter-library loan and delivery costs
- Plan, help to prepare libraries for the future
Removal of Department of Library Support and Development (LDS)
The loss of personnel, resources and the collection at LDS removed the ability to
- Get professional consulting help
- Use the special collection of professional library resources
- Access data about libraries
Minnesota has a system of interlibrary loan and delivery through MINITEX, a consortium that includes Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota
This historic cooperation has
- Efficiently share materials between all types and sizes of libraries
- Deliver the materials to the requesting individual in a remarkably quick time
- Coordinates and negotiates statewide licenses for databases of information called The Electronic Library of Minnesota (ELM)
Academic institutions, E-12 Schools, the public using public libraries, alternate schools & those without resources depend upon ELM resources and can not afford to purchase individual licenses. For example, it would cost Minnesota State University, Mankato, about $100,000 to replace the databases provided by the ELM, and the discounts negotiated through MINITEX if a discount could not be provided on a state-wide basis.
Permanent funding for telecommunications cost is needed to equalize costs across state.
The RLTA cost reimbursement program for public libraries ends July, 2003. The TARP cost reimbursement program for E-12 education ended June, 2002. In some counties the charges for Internet access vary from $300-$3000 per month. The state funding equalized this cost across the state. The locations with the highest charges are usually in the sparsely populated areas that are not able to pay the very large costs. If a solution is not found, internet access due to the cost of service will be removed from many public libraries and schools.
- Progress and interconnection through on-line catalogs will not continue
Effect of economy on support from local funding agencies
E-12 education for several years has had decreasing financial support
- No longer financial support for enough trained staff and library resources
- Budgets frozen or falling with costs and demands increasing
- In academic institutions cuts in the work-study program have forced reduction in library hours
