Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) is an organization representing all academic libraries in accredited non-profit institutions of higher education in Indiana. Included among the 72 ALI members are major research libraries, law and medical libraries, theological school libraries, and many undergraduates libraries.

ALI was established in 2003 to:

• Support economic development in Indiana
• Promote collaboration, innovation, preservation, and resource sharing
• Maintain resources for improving teaching, learning, research and service
• Improve Indiana's information infrastructure

The PALNI Executive Committee has announced that Kirsten A. Leonard has accepted their invitation to become Executive Director of the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana.

Kirsten has a number of years of experience in academic libraries in Indiana and is a knowledgeable academic librarian who knows the Indiana academic library scene. She has extensive experience with the implementation of information technology to support undergraduate education.

Kirsten is enthusiastic about joining PALNI and looks forward to working with the membership to move PALNI's program beyond support of an integrated library system. She writes, "My commitment to being a leader in innovation and management of electronic information is coupled with an equal desire to optimize how change is managed in the library field." This perspective will serve PALNI well as she helps the membership develop PALNI into a more dynamic organization, which is better equipped to meet the needs of members.

Kirsten graduated from Case Western with a double major in history and literature and received a Masters in Literature with high honors from Case, and a Masters in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University. She has held positions at Kettering University, Ball State University and Indiana University Kokomo libraries. At Kokomo she has been given an increasing range of responsibilities, which have included cataloging, government documents, and institutional research. She has had significant responsibility for the development of IU Kokomo's information technology infrastructure. All of this education and professional experience prepares Kirsten well for the position of PALNI Executive Director.

PALNI anticipates an aggressive strategic planning effort in the next twelve to eighteen months, which will lead to further enhancement of PALNI's services to its members.

Kirsten Leonard will begin her work with PALNI on August 1, 2010.

PALNI is a consortium of 23 independent institutions of higher education in Indiana. It was founded in 1992 and implemented an integrated library system (ILS) the next year. Subsequently the system was upgraded and now includes the ILS and a citation linker and meta-search engine. Enhancements to the system are now planned for implementation over the next twelve months. More about PALNI is available at its web site, www.palni.edu.

[Submitted by Thomas G. Kirk, Jr., Consultant to PALNI, KirkTo@earlham.edu, 765-935-9013. Tom is Emeritus Library Director and Coordinator of Information Services at Earlham College. He is a founding member of ALI and a former ALI board member. http://sites.google.com/site/tomkirkalc. 07-06-2010.]

The Board of Directors and members of the Academic Libraries of Indiana are very much concerned about the decisions that some Indiana school corporations are making about school libraries. We strongly urge superintendents and board members to re-examine the contributions that school library media specialists provide in your endeavors to graduate students from Indiana who are competitive with those graduating from other states. With strong school libraries staffed by library professionals, our students can develop the skills to succeed whether they attend an institution of higher learning or go directly into the workforce.

The value of school libraries and school library media specialists cannot be under-estimated. School librarians collaborate with classroom teachers to contribute to a student being able to discover, evaluate, analyze, think critically about information and integrate it with their existing knowledge. This skill set of information literacy is what employers look for in hiring.

The Indiana Administrative Code (511 IAC 6.1-5) requires that "all schools shall have a media program that is an integral part of the educational program. A licensed media specialist shall supervise the media program." Indiana's Department of Education states that schools that do not meet one or more of the state's academic standards will result in that school receiving a "provisionally accredited, legal standards only" status.

Valid studies find a statistically significant correlation between the quality of a school library system and student academic performance. The most recent study found that schools tend to "perform better on ISTEP+ tests where there were better-staffed, better-stocked, and better-funded school library programs." (Association for Indiana Media Educators, 2007).

School librarians, as information specialists, promote a student's understanding of requiring more than one resource to develop a complete comprehension of a topic. Librarians teach students how to articulate their research questions, develop effective search strategies, identify authoritative resources, recognize bias, fallacious reasoning, use and communicate information ethically. Clerical staff are not trained for this and classroom teachers have other priorities. One school librarian in each school is an excellent and necessary investment in terms of quality education and economic return since the librarian supports all grades, teachers, and administrators.

The Board of Directors and members of the Academic Libraries of Indiana urge school superintendents at Indiana's school corporations to consider carefully the impact librarians have in the education of our most important resource, our school children and their place in the Information Age.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 06-28-2010.]

The Academic Libraries of Indiana’s 2010 Conference Newsletter features stories and photos about the annual meeting held Thursday, May 6, 2010. See, it at http://ali.bsu.edu/archives/mission-gov/newsletter/ALI_MembersMeeting2010_Newsletter.pdf

Contents:

1. Andrew K. Pace, OCLC’s Executive Director for Networked Library Services gives the keynote address, p. 1


2. Jim Corridan, Deputy Indiana State Librarian addresses the state of Indiana libraries, p.2


3. Janet S. Fore leasds a session to develop take home ideas from the morning session, p. 2


4. 4. Poster Sessions, pp. 3-4
   • Ball State University Libraries. Development of a User-Focused Digital Library Interface Using Website Traffic Statistics. Carolyn F. Runyon
   • Indiana State University Library. Wabash Valley Visions and Voices Digital Memory Project. Cinda May
   • Indiana University East. IU East Library Action Figure Tour. Matthew Dilworth
   • Purdue University Libraries. Department Office Hours: Becoming Part of the Culture. Amy S. Van Epps
   • Purdue University Libraries. Information Literacy, Changing Spaces, and Changing Perceptions. Kelly Evans and Hal Kirkwood
   • University of Notre Dame Hesburgh University Libraries. Beyond the Body Count: Building a More Complete Usage Picture of the Library and Its Services. Collette Mak and Steve Hayes
   • University of Saint Francis. Ask a Librarian at the University of Saint Francis. Cindy Kump and Lauralee Aven
5. Kirsten A. Leonard summarizes work of the Resource Advisory Committee, p. 5


6. Matthew C. Shaw reviews work of the Resource Sharing Committee, p. 5


7. Susan Clark summarized work of the Information Literacy Committee, p. 5


8. Jennifer A. Younger spoke about ALI’s listserves and her new position with the Catholic Research Resource Alliance, p. 5


9. Lewis Miller shares his comments about Lyrasis, p. 5


10. Dan J. Bowell spoke about Lyrasis and MCLS memberships, p. 6


11. Jennifer A. Younger reported on the work of the MCLS Interim Board, p. 6


12. Identification of ALI Guests, p. 6


13. Graduate student volunteers from the IUPUI School of Library and Information Science, p. 6


14. ALI Board Members, 2010-2011, p. 7


15. Awarding of Certificates of Appreciation, p. 7

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 06-16-2010.]

On June 14, 2010, the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC), of which the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) is a member, issued a revised Statement on the Global Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Consortia Licenses. ALI has endorsed this statement.

ICOLC’s original Statement, issued January 19, 2009, sought to inform publishers and suppliers that libraries and consortia would be affected significantly by the international financial crisis, that the impact would be prolonged, and that flexibility and creativity in pricing with minimal disruption to resources is mutually beneficial.

This revised Statement issued June 14, 2010 reiterates the original Statement and adds these important elements:

1. Because the fiscal implications have truly been severe and are likely to persist longer than originally anticipated, "the need for pricing restraint and options remains paramount."


2. "Some suppliers have done a much better job of containing prices than others. We call upon the full range of suppliers to show price restraint in 2010-2011 to enable customers to sustain as many information resource licenses as possible."


3. To counter a recent trend toward serial title exclusivity, a new principle has been added: "We encourage publishers to allow their content to be made available through numerous vendors appropriate for their subject matter."

As with the initial Statement, the ALI Resource Advisory Committee reviewed the statement and recommended endorsement to the ALI Board, which concurred by registering support for this revised Statement.

The Statement was released on Monday, June 14, 2010 to publishers, professional news sources, and to various professional information venues.

See the full Statement, www.library.yale.edu/consortia/icolc-econcrisis-0610.htm.

[Submitted by Daniel J. Bowell, University Librarian, Taylor University, At-large ALI Board Member and Board Liaison to the Resource Advisory Committee. DNBowell@Taylor.edu. 06-15-10.]

Congratulations to the Indiana State Library for their work on negotiating the INSPIRE contract that brings additional informational resources to the citizens of Indiana, students and classroom teachers in K-12, and students and faculty in higher education. The new resources become available July 1, 2010.

The Indiana State Library has completed negotiations for a new contracts with EBSCO Gale for INSPIRE databases that ensures the continuity of all INSPIRE resources during the next biennium (July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2012).

The new contracts include significant additions to the INSPIRE suite while also representing a $60,000 savings over current expenditures. EBSCO will continue to provide the same databases as in the past three years, including Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, and several additional important resources, For a listing, see www.in.gov/library/inspire/info.html. Gale will provide access to five new databases, individually listed below, and to one stand-alone product, Teaching Books.

ALI participated in the RFP development process. Lori Dugan, Indiana University Bloomington, and Kirsten Leonard, Indiana University Kokomo, both served as members of the INSPIRE Advisory Committee.

ALI representatives encouraged continued access to scholarly journals, robust and effective interfaces, and increased access to health and medical resources. While the negotiations were protracted and complex because of requirements in the Indiana State Code and Department of Administration rules, the process was successful in holding down costs while broadening access to resources.

The ALI partnership with the Indiana State Library to support the upgrade of Academic Search Elite to Academic Search Premier provides a significant return on investment to the entire state.

The new Gale resources are the following:

• Health and Wellness Resource Center with Alternative Health
  www.gale.cengage.com/Health/HealthRC/quick.htm
  This database is a rich, comprehensive resource that offers 24/7 access to more than 1,000 medical journals and periodicals and articles from more than 2,200 general-interest publications – more than 75% in full-text. In addition to medical journals and periodicals, there is access to medical newspapers, newsletters, news feeds, reference works, multimedia, and much more.
• Health Reference Center Academic
  www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=INFO17&type=4&id=172040
  This is a multi-source database provides access to the full text of nursing and allied health journals, plus the wide variety of personal health information sources and 40 full-text nursing and allied health journals.
• Nursing Resource Center
  www.gale.cengage.com/Health/Nursing/quick.htm
  This is a comprehensive resource that nurses, students, and instructors will find valuable to meet their education and research needs.
• Science Resource Center
  www.gale.cengage.com/SciRC
  This is a one-stop resource for all science-related research needs. The resource reflects curriculum trends and focuses on key concepts taught in school classrooms including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, math, environmental science, life science, medicine, space science, computer science, technology, history of science, science and society, science as inquiry, science-related biographies and more.
• Military and Intelligence Database
  www.gale.cengage.com/servlet/ItemDetailServlet?region=9&imprint=000&titleCode=IACSB3&type=4&id=191119
  This product has been designed to meet the content needs of libraries serving military personnel. Contents include some basic reference materials that are updated annually and over 500 titles and seven million articles.
• Teaching Books
  www.teachingbooks.net
  This is an easy-to-use website that adds a multimedia dimension to the reading experiences of children's and young adult’ books. The online database includes thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K-12 environment.

[Submitted by Kirsten A. Leonard, Associate Librarian is Indiana University-Kokomo’s Electronic Resources/Government Documents Librarian, and Assistant Director of Institutional Research. Kirsten is Chairperson for ALI Resource Advisory Committee and an ALI representatives on the INSPIRE Advisory Committee. KALeonar@iuk.edu. 06-11-2010.]

James L. Mullins, Dean of Libraries at Purdue University, has been appointed to the Board of the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services. He replaces the position vacated in mid-May 2010 by Jennifer A. Younger.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 06-02-2010.]

I am pleased to introduce and welcome the Interim Director of the Hesburgh Libraries to you. Susan Ohmer, Ph.D., is an Assistant Provost, and The William T. and Helen Kuhn Carey Associate Professor of Modern Communication at the University of Notre Dame.

Susan can be reached at 221 Hesburgh Library, 574-631-7790 and via email at SOhmer@nd.edu.

There was a nice article about Susan in ND Works (May 6, 2010): "As assistant provost, Ohmer is responsible for coordinating efforts to recruit and retain female faculty and for oversight of the libraries and Notre Dame Press, and she serves as the provost's liaison to the Early Childhood Development Center. Since 2007, she has led the Committee on women Faculty and Students, which considers policies, practices, and the general environment of the University as they relate to female faculty and students. A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1998, Ohmer teaches courses in film and television in U.S. culture, and her research focuses on the history and use of market research in media organizations."

Having met and worked with Susan since last August 2009, I know you will enjoy working with her. In talking about Notre Dame’s participation in ALI, I was pleased to inform her of the dynamic academic library community in Indiana and of our shared commitment to enriching access to information resources and services for faculty and students in Indiana.

For more information and a photo of Susan, see “Susan Ohmer appointed assistant provost at Notre Dame,” ND Newswire, July 31, 2009 http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/12040-susan-ohmer-appointed-assistant-provost-at-notre-dame

[Submitted by Jennifer A. Younger, Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame, former ALI Board Member, ALI Past President, and ALI Founding Member. Jennifer is currently Chair, Board of Directors, Catholic Research Resources Alliance, www.catholicresearch.net and Vice President/President Elect of the OCLC Global Council. Contact Jennifer directly at Younger.1@ND.edu 05-28-2010.]

OCLC’s new governance structure now has input from three regions that cover the world. We are in the "Americas," and our Americas Regional Council is meeting at the ALA Annual Meeting (Washington, D.C.) on June 24–25, 2010.

If you are going to ALA, I hope you will attend this meeting or watch it streamed on the Web. Most sessions are presented by staff from member libraries on topics such as federated searching, record use, and pricing principles.

This is a great opportunity to provide input on OCLC policies and services and meet the delegates that represent you on the Global Council. Please share this invitation with others in your library. I am especially interested in your participation and input going forward as I will be the ALA Global Council President for 2010/11.

The agenda is at http://tinyurl.com/35tzryl. Registration information is at www.oclc.org/info/ala

[Submitted by Jennifer A. Younger, Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame, former ALI Board Member, ALI Past President, and ALI Founding Member. Jennifer is currently Chair, Board of Directors, Catholic Research Resources Alliance, www.catholicresearch.net and Vice President/President Elect of the OCLC Global Council. Contact Jennifer directly at Younger.1@ND.edu 05-27-2010.]

The Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) Annual Meeting 2010 is Thursday, May 6, 2010, at the Indiana Wesleyan Indianapolis Education Center. This meeting promises to be an outstanding collegial and educative meetings.

This year's keynote speaker is Andrew Pace, Executive Director of Networked Library Services at OCLC, where he leads an initiative to move library management services to a Web-scale cooperative platform. Andrew blogs on issues related to digital libraries, Hectic Pace.

Andrew will provide a brief overview of library automation history and current trends, including Web 2.0, Web 3.0, Cloud Computing, and Crowd-Sourcing. The inherent challenge for libraries will be to choose appropriate opportunities and build lasting value out of various technology directions. Andy's presentation will use examples from library automation space to illustrate the new era of choices for libraries.

The Annual Meeting 2010 Agenda also will feature reports from the Resource Advisory Committee and also the Inspire Advisory Committee (Kirsten Leonard), Resource Sharing Committee, the Information Literacy Task Force and the Nominating Committee (Susan Clark) and updates about Lyrasis and the newly formed Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS). There will also be elections for ALI Officers 2010-2011 and a member at large.

There will be a Poster Session featuring presentations on these topics:

• Green Libraries
• Information Literacy, Library Instruction
• Library 2.0 Technology
• Metrics, Measures

ALI members are invited to participate in the poster session. They can also invite one or more members of their staff to present the poster session.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 03-31-2010.]

At the end of the current academic year, Jennifer A. Younger will step down as the Edward H. Arnold Director of Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame where she has provided leadership since 1997.

Jennifer's new assignment will be with the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA), "... a collaborative effort initiated by eight Catholic colleges and universities to share their resources electronically with librarians, archivists, researchers, scholars, and the general public, all who are interested in the Catholic experience," see www.catholicresearch.net. There are now 11 member universities with the commitment to advance global discovery of unique and uncommon research materials relating to the Catholic experience. Currently, Jennifer chairs the CRRA's Board of Directors.

Prior to Jennifer's appointment at the University of Notre Dame, she served for 6 years as assistant director for technical services in the university libraries at Ohio State University. She also held various library positions at her alma mater, Northwestern University, and at the U.S. Department of State.

Jennifer earned her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin. She will receive the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Library and Information Studies Alumni Association during the school's commencement ceremonies in May.

Jennifer has provided strong leadership to the Academic Libraries of Indiana as a founding member, Past President, and Board member. Her vision, energy, commitment to cooperation, and broad experiences in librarianship will be missed.

For more information about Jennifer, Michele, read the ND Newswire announcement by Dennis Brown, March 22, 2010, http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/15048.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 03-30-2010.]

Dean of Library and Media Services at the Franklin D. Schurz Library, Michele C. Russo has announced her plans to retire from Indiana University South Bend (IUSB) where she has provided library and administrative services to students and faculty for 28 years.

Michele came to IUSB from Lewis University in 1982, beginning as the Coordinator of Library Instruction. She was attracted to the position because of her love for teaching and librarianship.

Michele attributes her accomplishments to successful collaboration with others. During her tenure at IUSB, the Schurz Library has grown and expanded. Among her accomplishments are the Hammes Information Commons and the Dorene Dwyer Hammes Media Commons & Café, which has four areas: the Multimedia Production Studio, Café, AV Nook, and the Circulation Hub.

Michele has provided leadership to the Academic Libraries of Indiana as a founding member. She served on the ALI's Steering Committee from 2001-2003 and then has been elected a Board member for the years 2003-2005 and 2007-2010. For the past two years, Michele has served on the ALI Annual Meeting Program Committee. Her common sense, insight, and energy will be missed.

For more information about Michele, see the Indiana University South Bend Spring 2010 newsletter, "Dean Russo to Retire in June After 28 Years of Service," Library and Media Services News 22 (1): 1, 6. See, http://library.iusb.edu/newsletter/spring2010.pdf.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President. 03-25-2010.]

Vicki D. Bloom has been appointed Dean of Library and Media Services of the Franklin D. Schurz Library at Indiana University South Bend, beginning July 1, 2010.

Vicki will be coming from University of California - Riverside where she has been for the last 15 years. Currently, Vicki is the Head of Reference Services at the Tomás Rivera Library. In her position, she is responsible for Reference, Instruction, Periodicals and Microforms, and Government Publications.

Previous positions include Associate Director of the Green-Field National Alzheimer's Library and Search Services Coordinator and Science Librarian at Loyola University of Chicago. Bloom completed her MSLS Library Science at Wayne State University.

Bloom will replace Michele C. Russo who will retire June 30, 2010 after 28 years of service to the University.

For more information about Vicki and to view her photo, see the Indiana University South Bend Spring 2010 newsletter, "New Dean to Begin in July," Library and Media Services News 22 (1): 5. URL: http://library.iusb.edu/newsletter/spring2010.pdf

[Submitted by Michele C. Russo, Dean of Library and Media Services, Indiana University South Bend, and ALI Board Member. 03-25-2010.]

The Poster Session at the upcoming ALI Annual Meeting 2010 is designed for members to increase their library’s visibility. It is a great opportunity to let fellow librarians and colleagues know about some of their library’s activities and for members to share their collective knowledge in viewing and discussing the posters.

Through the Poster Session, members can easily promote their library’s new or ongoing services and approaches by creating enviro-friendly, reusable, and innovative posters. These are the suggested topics for this year’s ALI Annual Meeting 2010:

• Green Libraries
• Information Literacy – Library Instruction
• Library 2.0 Technology
• Metrics and Measures
• Other

The Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) Annual Meeting 2010 is Thursday, May 6, 2010, at the Indiana Wesleyan Indianapolis Education Center. This meeting promises to be one of the very best collegial and educative meetings attended all year!

ALI members who wish to feature one or more posters as part of the ALI Poster Session should inform any ALI Planning Committee member by April 28, sooner, if possible, by providing a poster title and brief description for each exhibit. Easels, removable adhesives, and table space will be provided. Members can invite one of their library’s personnel to present and discuss their library’s posters, which will be on display from noon until 1 p.m. This is a great chance for ALI members to share our collective knowledge.

ALI Annual Conference Planning Committee Members
Arthur W. Hafner (AHafner@bsu.edu)
John Lamborn (LambornJ@wabash.edu)
Michele C. Russo (MRusso@iusb.edu)

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University,
ALI Board Member and President, 2-22-2010.]

Marnie Maxwell, INCOLSA’s interim director, has announced through the INCOLSA-L listserve, that the INCOLSA board members approved the resolution to combine with the Michigan Library Consortium at a special meeting today (December 17, 2009) in Indianapolis.

Yesterday, Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) members approved the same resolution at a meeting. INCOLSA’s board also authorized the Executive Committee to finalize the Memorandum of Understanding with MLC and to ensure that all legal work is executed appropriately.

The new organization, the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) will be governed by a newly appointed interim board of 16 members, eight from each state, representing libraries of all types. The Executive Director is Randy Dykhuis, DykhuisR@mlcnet.org.

The representatives from Indiana are the following:

• Amy Harshbarger, Rose Hulman
• Beverly Martin, Johnson County Public Library
• Jennifer A. Younger, University of Notre Dame’s Hesburgh University Libraries
• Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library
• Nancy McGriff, South Central Community Schools
• Patty Lunsford, St. Elizabeth Regional Health
• Roberta Brooker, Indiana State Librarian
• Stephen Day, New Albany-Floyd County Public Library

The representatives from Michigan are the following:

• Cliff Haka, Michigan State University Libraries
• Denise Hooks, Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative, Flint
• Gigi Lincoln, Lakeview Schools
• Ishwar Laxminarayan, Jackson District Library
• Pamela Grudzien, Central Michigan University Library
• Nancy Robertson, Michigan State Librarian, Library of Michigan
• Pamela Christensen, Peter White Public Library
• Victor Liu, Washtenaw Community College Library

Through the merger of these two organizations, the MCLS will begin to create a better library future together for Indiana and Michigan libraries. More information is available at http://mlcnet.org/cms/sitem.cfm/about/mlc-incolsa_merger. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact any member of the MCLS’s Executive Committee.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University,
ALI Board Member and President, 12-17-2009.]

Brenda L. Johnson has been named Ruth Lilly Dean of the Indiana University Libraries. Currently, she is the University Librarian at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "I am delighted to have been selected to serve as the next Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries at IU," Johnson said.

Dean Johnson assumes her new responsibilities on March 1, 2010, subject to approval by the IU Board of Trustees. In her role as dean, she will provide overall administrative leadership for a system of libraries on eight campuses. On the Bloomington campus, the dean provides strategic planning and policy direction in the areas of collection development, public and technical services, facilities planning and personnel policies.

[From a Press Release by Indiana University, November 18, 2009.]

Purdue University Libraries have joined ExLibris initiative to redesign library services and build the future management system for back-office library operations – selection, acquisition, cataloging, management, and fulfillment. The Ex Libris Unified Resource Management framework, or URM™ provides libraries with a suite of the traditional functions necessary to streamline current management tasks across print, electronic, and digital resources.

The design partners along with Purdue University Libraries are Boston College, Princeton University Library, and the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium).

James L. Mullins, Dean of Libraries at Purdue University, commented, "Our library system is committed to serving the increasingly complex research needs of faculty and students throughout the University and is keen to explore the potential of the URM framework to enhance the library's role across disciplines. Furthermore, the URM framework will provide a way to collaborate with other libraries in meeting the evergrowing collection management challenges faced by the Purdue Libraries."

"The URM partnership will support several aspects of the Purdue Libraries' strategic plan," added Mullins. "We are excited about the URM framework for many reasons. First, it will provide us with a platform for managing and developing robust collections. Collaborating with the partner institutions in the development of a management tool will ensure that the system will indeed enable us to manage our existing collections more effectively. Just as important, we are exploring roles for libraries in the management of emerging forms of scholarly communication and in data curation in e-science. We look forward to seeing how the URM system will enable us to address future challenge in these areas."

For more information, see the ExLibris' December 1, 2009 press release at www.exlibrisgroup.com/?catid={916AFF5B-CA4A-48FD-AD54-9AD2ADADEB88}&itemid={E76E1F38-030F-48BB-B278-51E0AE9C88D9}.

[From a Press Release by ExLibris, December 1, 2009.]

Alberta Comer, Indiana State University’s Dean of the Cunningham Memorial Library, is featured in the current issue of Focus on Indiana Libraries 63(10): 3, October/November 2009, a publication of the Indiana Library Federation (ILF).

Alberta is also an ALI Board member, 2009-2010.

An interesting piece on Alberta with a photo appeared in January 2009 in the School of Library and Information Science’s SLIS Alumni News, see www.slis.indiana.edu/news/story.php?story_id=1876.

Text of the ILF profile:

Alberta Comer, Dean of the Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University

The daughter of Cherokee and Choctaw farmers in eastern Oklahoma, Alberta Comer’s world did not include TV, a telephone, an indoor bathroom or a local library. Her father would drive her to a bookmobile about a half-hour drive away to check out books. "Every time I walked into it, I would think, ‘I just can’t believe how lucky I am to do this.’" As an only child, the books served as companions, entertainment and education. In high school, she was asked to help set up a library and got to catalog the books. "I just found it fascinating," she said.

Now after six years at Indiana State University, Alberta was recently named as dean of the library and oversees the research materials, the literature and media.

"I feel absolutely honored to be part of the ISU community and family and to be a part of this library," she said.

Alberta’s passions also include running. She is dedicated to training for mini-marathons regardless of the weather. She took up running about five years ago. It’s hard to believe that she was once told that she would never walk. Her parents did not condone the experimental treatment doctors wanted to pursue, and instead she wore braces on her legs. Now, Alberta takes great joy in the fact that she can walk and run.

Alberta obtained an MLS in 2002. She has served as co-editor for Indiana Libraries and serves on the board of the Indiana Library Federation.

Copyright © 2009 by the Indiana Library Federation. Reprinted with permission.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 12-03-2009]

Vincennes University has announced that its Shake Learning Resource Center is the recipient of a $125,817 grant to launch a highly innovative project that helps meet the educational and professional development needs of residents in partnering public library districts.

The grant from the Indiana State Library is part of the Learning Unlimited program that will focus on providing college credit and job-ready training programs centered at public libraries. The program is funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) innovation grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Vincennes University will connect enrollees to these opportunities by supplying each with netbooks - lightweight, mobile, wireless, powerful personal computers to support online education and training programs. The public library will play a crucial role as a source for wireless internet access and face-to-face support services for students enrolled in the program.

"Learning Unlimited will expand the role of the local public library in serving the educational and employment needs of district residents," said Robert A. Slayton, Vincennes University Dean of Learning Resources. "Through the use of cutting-edge information technologies, this grant supports a unique and highly innovative partnership for extending educational and employment opportunities to Indiana citizens."

Vincennes University librarians and their public library counterparts will collaborate in providing library reference assistance to students enrolled in the program on the use of INSPIRE - Indiana’s virtual library - and other electronic information resources. The program will also seek training and educational referrals from local WorkOne offices.

The Learning Unlimited pilot program will begin in spring 2010 at up to three central Indiana public libraries with the goal to expand to other statewide locations in the future.

[From a Press Release by Vincennes University, November 25, 2009, reported in InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report.]

Indiana University South Bend recently celebrated the opening of its new Dorene Dwyer Hammes Media Commons & Café, a user-centered environment, named in honor of its lead donor.

The new space includes a renovated circulation and interlibrary loan area, a multimedia production studio, media viewing stations (featuring Blu-Ray DVD/VHS combination players and 19" monitors), and a coffee bar. The Café area has an eco-friendly LED TV for viewing cable news, full wireless connectivity, and a newspaper reading area.

The Multimedia Production Studio provides a wide range of technology and software for students to create multimedia enhanced presentations for course projects. This room features a green screen, video lighting, controlled acoustics, and software to create and edit multimedia projects, including Final Cut Express and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as special effects design with Adobe After Effects, the full 2D design suite from Adobe, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Audio recording with various microphones, a 12 channel mixer and sound dampening is also available.

[Submitted by Michele Russo, Dean of Library and Media Services, Indiana University South Bend, ALI Board Member, MRusso@iusb.edu, 10-27-09]

At the Awards and Honors Banquet, Monday, October 19, 2009, three academic librarians were honored by the Indiana Library Federation. They were:

1. John M. Robson, recent retiree after 25 years from the John A. Logan Library at the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, received the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

John has had a distinguished career in which he has advanced librarianship and inspired librarians and archivists in many ways. He has served on numerous committees and held officer positions for academic, professional, and voluntary organizations, including most recently serving as Secretary of the Academic Libraries of Indiana 2008-2009 and chairperson of the Resource Sharing Committee, 2007-2008.

2. Jaena Hollingsworth, Assistant Librarian and English Department Liaison at the University Library, IUPUI, received the Outstanding New Librarian Award

Colleagues nominating Jaena pointed out that she takes time to meet with students who are working on research projects and helps them to better understand how to navigate through the intricate database and index systems to find just the right information they need for their research projects. They also commented that Jaena has made a significant impact at the IUPUI University Library by assisting with developing a marketing plan for ongoing outreach initiatives. HollingJ@IUPUI.edu.

3. Philip E. Orr, Distance Learning Librarian at the David L. Rice Library, University of Southern Indiana, received the Outstanding Leadership and Service to the Library Community Award

Colleagues nominating Philip said that he has worked vigorously to raise awareness throughout Indiana about the need to begin a division for distance learning librarians under the umbrella of ILF, a task that he successfully accomplished and for which he serves as chairperson. POrr@usi.edu.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 10-23-2009]

Pat Steele is leaving her position at the Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries at Indiana University (IU) to become Dean of University Libraries at the University of Maryland. She begins her new position on September 1, 2009.

Pat’s association with the IU Libraries spans many decades, beginning in the early 1960s when she was a student assistant in the Biology Library. As Pat put it, "I have had the joy of being part of one of the most exciting libraries in the country at one of the premier universities. The friendships and the working relationships I have enjoyed will be part of my life always. Any successes I have had can be attributed to the library team as a whole and to our many partnerships."

Pat served IU as the Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries since 2005, is widely admired for her leadership and vision and for moving the libraries forward at a time when they are extending their mission to meet the demands of the digital age.

Representing IU in the national library community, Pat currently serves on the team to renegotiate an agreement between Google and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which first entered into a partnership in 2007. She is a co-founder and executive committee member of Hathi Trust, a shared digital repository of 25 of the nation’s leading research libraries.

Her contributions to libraries in Indiana are many. She has served as president of the Indiana Library Federation, president of the Board of Trustees of the Monroe County Public Library, and a member of the Indiana State Library and Historical Board. And Pat has been an active participant in the Academic Libraries of Indiana.

For me is special about Pat is her good sense, her ability to see a way to get done what needs to be accomplished, and her willingness to just do it. As she said to me in an e-mail shortly after the announcement about her new position, "Charles and I are determined to make this a big adventure very different from our present lives. I doubt that will be a problem!"

[Submitted by David W. Lewis, Dean of the IUPUI University Library and IU Assistant Vice President for Digital Scholarly Communication, past ALI Vice President and Board Member, July 16, 2009]

Janet S. Fore, Library Director of the Cushwa-Leighton Library at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, was named the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Member of the Week.

Janet has been a member of ACRL since 1985. She says that she joined the association "To be connected to and learn with colleagues across library and institutional boundaries."

Janet was a Board Member of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) 2003-2009 except for 2006-2007. She has a distinguished record of contributing her ideas and championing teamwork. Janet is an active supporter of resource sharing, integrating information literacy throughout the curriculum, and copyright issues.

To read more about Janet as ACRL Member of the Week, see David Free’s "Member of the Week: Janet Fore," June 22, 2009, www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/2009/06/22/member-of-the-week-janet-fore.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 07-01-2009]

The Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) Board of Directors has sent Michael C. Piper, Executive Director of INCOLSA, a letter to congratulate him on accepting his new position as Executive Director of the Prairie Area Library System (PALS), beginning September 1, 2009. Within the next few days, Michael will complete his fifth year with INCOLSA.

In the June 11, 2009 entry for the INCOLSA blog, Michael wrote, "As we near completion of INCOLSA’s nonprofit conversion, and as we begin a new chapter for your statewide library cooperative, it is time for me to chart a different course."

The ALI Board’s letter thanked Michael for his service to INCOLSA and to the State of Indiana. Among other mentions, they also thanked him for his assistance and support to ALI over the years that has helped it to growth and development as an organization.

The ALI Board wishes Michael prosperity and good fortune as he leaves Indiana to champion services for the libraries in the Prairie Area Library System.

PALS is a 378 multi-type library network [23 academic, 141 public, 180 school, 34 special] that spans 27 counties in northern Illinois and eastern Iowa. Illinois has nine such networks. They receive general operating funds through grants from the Illinois State Library. PALS is relatively new since it was formed in 2004.

You can find out more information about PALS by viewing www.palsnet.info/news-sharing/pals-news/pals-new-executive-director-announced.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 06-12-2009]

On June 4, 2009, the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) celebrated receiving Gold Certification for its Library Building from The United States Green Building Council. This coveted award is among the final steps in a building project that began with planning in 2004.

Librarian Eileen K. Saner was honored in the event since she had the initial vision and executed the leadership to make the building a green building. Others honored included The Troyer Group of Mishawaka, the architectural firm; and DJ Construction of Goshen, the general contractor. Other key participants in the project were Primera Engineers of Chicago, and Marcus Sheffer of 7group, who led the green building design process.

The Gold Certification marks the level to which AMBS Library Building met standards set by USGBC in its Leadership in Environment and Energy Design, or LEED® program. LEED is a rating system that sets nationally accepted benchmarks for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. Of the 69 points possible in the rating system, AMBS received 47, qualifying the building for the coveted gold certification.

The building comprises approximately 25,000 square feet, including the AMBS Library, bookstore, gallery, and restrooms. Among many green building features, these eight, not in any particular order of significance, are especially important to mention:

• Geothermal ground-source heating and cooling system that uses the temperature of the earth to heat and cool the building so that no natural gas is used.
• Triple-pane windows and efficient insulation to reduce heating and cooling energy.
• Designed windows, including north-facing clerestories that use daylight effectively and reduce use of electricity for interior lighting.
• Utilization of photocells that control lighting according to how much natural light is available.
• Sustainable building materials, such as lumber, purchased from the region to reduce transportation distance. About 92% of the building waste was recycled.
• Rain gardens planted next to the building to retain roof water runoff rather than sending it through city storm drains. Deep-rooted, drought-resistant native plants were selected for their ability to cleanse the water as it returns to the aquifer below.
• Prairie grasses planted and restored near the building to minimize time and fuel spent on lawn mowing and to promote the land’s natural sustainability.
• Paints, adhesives, and fabrics used throughout that do not emit fumes, thereby enhancing air quality of the building’s interior.

To view AMBS Library photos, floor plans, or other information about this event, visit www.ambs.edu/news-and-publications/events-and-news/certification.

[Submitted by Eileen K. Saner, Librarian, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, ALI Board Member, 06-07-2009]

Stephen Abrams, Vice President for Innovation at SirsiDynix, was the program speaker at the Academic Libraries of Indiana’s 2009 Annual Members Meeting.

His comments were thought provoking and interesting. , Stephen, who is Vice President for Innovation at Sirsi Dynix, was provocative and interesting.

Happily, Steve has posted the slides that he showed, Information Fluency in a Virtual World, at http://www.sirsidynix.com/Resources/Pdfs/Company/Abram/20090513_INDIANA_ACADEMICS2.pdf.

Steve regularly publishes a blog that is always filled with ideas and astute observations. Catch it at Stephen’s Lighthouse, http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 05-15-2009]

At the Annual Meeting this past May 7, 2009, several new Board members were elected. The ALI Board meets every two months. Agendas and meeting locations are posted on the ALI Web site at least one month in advance of the meeting. The next Board meetings are (2009) August 11, October 20, December 15; (2010) February 16, April 6, and May 6 for the Annual Members Meeting.

Officers

• President: Arthur W. Hafner, Ball State University
• Vice President: Susan Catt, Ivy Tech Community College, Region 14
• Secretary: Cathy Salyers, Saint Joseph's College
• Treasurer: Mary G. Persyn, Valparaiso University School of Law

Board Member Identified by Constituency Groups

Professional Division:

• Mary G. Persyn, Valparaiso University School of Law

PALNI

• Janet L. Brewer, Anderson University
• Eileen Saner, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
• Cathy Salyers, Saint Joseph’s College

Non-PALNI Private

• Judy Tribble, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Ivy Techs & Vincennes University
• Susan Catt, Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington
• J. Susan Clark, Ivy Tech Community College, East Central Region
• Robert A. Slayton, Vincennes University

Permanent Members

• Patricia A. Steele, Indiana University at Bloomington
• James L. Mullins, Purdue University
• Jennifer A. Younger, University of Notre Dame

Indiana University/Purdue University Regional

• Michele C. Russo, Indiana University South Bend
• Steven J. Schmidt, Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus

BSU/ISU/IUPUI/USI

• Arthur W. Hafner, Ball State University
• Alberta D. Comer, Indiana State University

At Large

• Dan N. Bowell, Taylor University at Upland

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and President, 05-15-2009]

Judith L. Violette has received the Distinguished Hoosier Award issued by Indiana’s Governor Mitch Daniels. This award recognizes significant contributions by individuals to Indiana that "… endear them in the hearts and minds of all Hoosiers."

The award was presented to Judith on Friday, July 18, 2008 by Indiana State Librarian Roberta L. Brooker at Judith’s library on the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.

Judith is Director of Library Services at the Walter E. Helmke Library and former president of the Academic Libraries of Indiana, 2006-2007.

For more information about Judith’s many significant contributions to librarianship and the people of Indiana, please see www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2008/07/21/times/times_online/doc4884787fe43c9611504941.txt.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, ALI Board Member and Vice President, 07-25-2008]

The Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), a consortium of 73 academic libraries, is a partner in helping its member libraries to achieve savings in subscription costs to academic databases. This past spring, as part of its initiative for eResources, ALI signed an agreement with the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) that will result in ALI member libraries being able to save money when subscribing to selected academic databases.

For the Ball State University Libraries, for example, when we renew our subscription, this agreement will produce immediate savings for the LexisNexis Academic databases, a service that includes nearly 5,000 publications spanning business and financial, environmental, legal, medical, and news.

ALI’s agreement with SOLINET brings 200 existing product offerings and 50 publisher and vendor relationships to the partnership, and SOLINET will also undertake specific negotiations on behalf of ALI and its member libraries as needed.

The University Libraries anticipate that this is only the beginning of other favorable deals to come from being an ALI member. According to an ALI Resource Advisory Committee report, "… this relationship will offer ALI member libraries a broader range of electronic resources through a single agent, at optimum pricing, with management information available to each ALI member library for resources that they have acquired."

This initiative between ALI and SOLINET represents a significant development in cooperation among ALI libraries to increase the range of resources provided to the students, faculty, and communities that they serve while making the most of available fiscal resources. According to Dan N. Bowell, Chair of ALI’s Database Licensing Task Force and University Librarian at Taylor University’s Zondervan Library, "It provides a strong complement to the resource sharing, including direct borrowing that exists among ALI libraries."

[Submitted by Hilde M. Calvert, Ball State University Libraries’ Head of Collections Development and member of the ALI Database Licensing Task Force, HCalvert@bsu.edu, June 16, 2008.]

In a press release issued June 13, 2008, Public Printer Robert C. Tapella announced the appointment of five new members to the Depository Library Council, see http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0806&L=gpo-fdlp-l&T=0&P=919.

The Council, composed of 15 members each of whom serve three year terms, advises the Public Printer on policy matters relating to the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP, which traces its roots to 1813, provides access across America to the published information of all three Branches of the United States Government through partnerships with more than 1,250 libraries ranging from public libraries to research universities.

"I am pleased to welcome this talented incoming class of Council members," said Public Printer Robert C. Tapella. "I look forward to their advice as GPO continues to work with the library community to provide free, open and permanent public access to the documents of our democracy."

The five new DLC members for the October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2011 term are the following:

David Cismowski is a Regional Depository Librarian at California State Library, Sacramento. In his role, Cismowski has worked to improve communication and networking among California's depository community. He has helped to re-institute California depository conferences, kept the California depository community connected via the state's depository online news list and started an orientation program for new depository coordinators.

Carlene Engstrom is the Library Director for D'Arcy McNickle Library, Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana. Engstrom has been Library Director at the college since 1999. She has also served as the President of the American Indian Library Association and is active in many other library and educational organizations. As an advocate for improved access to resources, she has planned and coordinated the digitization of 20 years of a tribal newspaper. She worked with the University of Montana to transfer the college's library catalog to the University of Montana Libraries Online Shared Catalog. This catalog involves more than 80 libraries in the state that pooled resources to purchase a library automation system for library customers.

Sarah (Sally) G. Holterhoff is an Associate Professor of Law Librarianship and Government Information/Reference Librarian at Valparaiso University Law Library, Valparaiso, Indiana. She is also a member of the legal research faculty and has been a government documents librarian since 1981. Holterhoff served on the Depository Library Council from 1987-90 and is a member of INDIGO (Indiana Networking for Documents and Information of Government Organizations), a group she helped to organize in 1992. She is the immediate past president of the American Association of Law Libraries.

Justin Otto is the Social Sciences and Government Documents Reference Librarian at Eastern Washington University, John F. Kennedy Library, Cheney, Washington. He is the coordinator of the American Library Association's GODORT Federal Documents Task Force, which provides a communication forum between documents librarians and others involved in government information. Otto previously served as the Economics Liaison Librarian at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Suzanne Sears is the head of the Government Documents Department, University of North Texas Willis Library, Denton, Texas. Sears joined the university in August 2007. She spent ten years as Government Documents Librarian at the Tulsa City-County Library, which was the recipient of the first annual Federal Depository Library of the Year Award in 2003. She also served as Chair of the Oklahoma Library Association's Government Documents Round Table in 2000-2001.

The GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. Government information in all its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three Branches of the Federal Government.

In addition to publication sales, GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO Access, www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html, and through partnerships with more than 1,250 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program.

[Submitted by Judith L. Violette, Director of Library Services, Walter E. Helmke Library, and former President, Academic Libraries of Indiana 2006-2007, June 16, 2008]

The ALI-INFO-LIT-L list is intended for any staff and/or directors involved in discussing information literacy and/or implementing ALI information literacy programs.

Multiple people from a library can join.

To subscribe, members should:

1. send a message to listserv@listserv.nd.edu.
2. Leave the subject line BLANK!
3. In the body of the message, type the following (using of course your own name):
   
   SUBSCRIBE ali-info-lit-l@listserv.nd.edu Firstname Lastname
   
   
4. Do NOT use any signature on the email sent to listserv@listserv.nd.edu.

[Submitted by Kirstin Krueger Apker, Administrative Assistant, Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame, June 4, 2008]

Cheryl B. Truesdell has been selected as Dean, Walter E. Helmke Library at Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), effective August 1, 2008.

Cheryl currently serves as Associate Library Director, Head of Government Documents and Document Delivery Services, and Digital Initiatives Coordinator, She graduated magna cum laude from IPFW with a B.A. in History in 1978 and earned her Master of Library Science at Indiana University-Bloomington in 1980. She began her library career at IPFW in the Helmke Library in 1983, rising steadily through the academic ranks and earning increasing levels of responsibility for library operations and programming.

Cheryl’s expertise and professional interests include strategic planning, building digital library collections, resource sharing, copyright law, and U.S. government information services. She has been active in Indiana University Library system committees and Indiana libraries and library organizations for more than 20 years, serving in leadership roles in the American Library Association, the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA), the Indiana State Library Advisory Council, Indiana Government Documents Organization (INDIGO), and the Indiana Library Federation. She is currently president of the Indiana Library Federation.

Cheryl’s professional accomplishments also include publications in the Journal of Academic Librarianship and Indiana Libraries, and she has given many presentations at state, regional, and national conferences, including the Indiana Library Federation, INDIGO, the Indiana Health Science Librarians Association, the Midwest Federation of Library Associations, the American Library Association, and Federal Depository Library Conference.

Cheryl brings experience, accomplishment, and vision to her new role. Her commitment to integrating Helmke’s resources into the Internet, increasing students information literacy, building the new learning commons, and responding to the challenges of the digital academic library assure that she will continue Helmke’s outstanding service to IPFW’s students, faculty, and regional constituencies.

[Submitted by Judith L. Violette, Director of Library Services, Walter E. Helmke Library, and former President, Academic Libraries of Indiana 2006-2007, May 21, 2008]

On August 29, 2007, librarians from around the state met at Bracken Library to participate in Discovery to Delivery: Good to Great Resource Sharing in Indiana.

The conference, attended by 80 librarians, was jointly sponsored by the Indiana State Library, INCOLSA, the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), and OCLC with Collette Mak, INCOLSA Director of Library Products, serving as the conference coordinator. Suzanne S. Rice, Ball State University Libraries’ Assistant Dean for Public Services, coordinated local arrangements.

Douglas F. Hasty, Professor, Head of Access Services Department, Florida International University was the keynote speaker. His address "Rethinking Customer Services" focused on applying Fourth Generation Management principles to library settings. James R. Corridan, associate director from the Indiana State Library, provided an update on resource sharing initiatives and gathered feedback from participants about recent changes in the library-to-library courier system.

Cathy DeRosa, vice president for the Americas and global vice president of marketing for OCLC, discussed issues of privacy and security related to online user behaviors and implications for resource sharing. Elizabeth McKinney de Garcia, PINES Program Manager, visited from Georgia to introduce their consortium that joins 46 Georgia public library systems.

Afternoon breakout sessions included sessions that focused on a range of topics designed to meet the interests of practitioners and administrators, including:

• Library experiences in changing to use new technologies – Cathy DeRosa, OCLC
• Overview of current automated delivery aids – Collette Mak, INCOLSA
• Issues in home delivery and distance education students – Suzanne S. Rice, Ball State University Libraries
• Implementing improvements in delivery – Robert V. Roethemeyer, Concordia Theological Seminary
• Delivery innovations – Suzanne Ward, Libraries of Purdue University

Survey responses indicated participants were highly satisfied with the day, and they expressed interest for more such gatherings in the future.

The Ball State University Libraries were pleased to host this conference and look forward to additional opportunities to serve as a gathering point for innovative discussions among library professionals.

To see a photo gallery from the Conference, click on www.bsu.edu/library/conference/resourcesharing/photos.

Streaming video of each session will be available online soon.

For more information, contact Suzanne S. Rice, Ball State University Libraries’ Assistant Dean for Public Services, SRice@bsu.edu, (765) 285-1305.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, and ALI Board Member, 09-19-2007.]

Please join the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), INCOLSA, and the Indiana State Library August 29, 2007 at Ball State University’s Bracken Library for a proactive day of presentations and discussion on enhancing resource sharing in Indiana.

Access to essential programs and services, such as WorldCat, INSPIRE, and INfoExpress, give Indiana libraries an excellent opportunity to move resource sharing from good to great. This Conference is dedicated to those Hoosier librarians committed to improving service to patrons and ready to take action to improve resource sharing in Indiana.

The keynote speaker will be Douglas F. Hasty, Head of Access Services at Florida International University and author of Applying Fourth Generation Management to Access Services: Reinventing Customer Service and Process Management (available online from many academic full-text databases). He will lead attendees through the process of fixing problems and looking at the process behind the problem.

The registration cost is $15, which includes materials, continental breakfast, lunch, light snacks, and refreshments. Participation is limited to the first 80 registrants. Secure your spot today for the 2007 Resource Sharing Conference by registering online at:www.incolsa.net/WebCal/eventreg.html?EventID=2648&CALid=5403.

[Submitted by Robert V. Roethemeyer, Director of Library and Information Services,
Concordia Theological Seminary, Chair of the ALI Resource Sharing Task Force,
and ALI Board Member. 07-26-2007.]

Resource sharing through interlibrary loan and enhanced bibliographic access is one of the Academic Libraries of Indiana’s strategic objectives. In June, 2007, Anne K. Beaubien, Director, Cooperative Access Services, University of Michigan Library, published a white paper through the Association of Research Libraries that helps to inform the conversation about resource sharing, particularly to understand changes in interlibrary loan borrowing patterns, based on ARL data during the period 1998 through 2004.

The author addresses four topics:

1. Definition of Interlibrary Loan, differentiating between returnable items, e.g., books, audiovisual items, microfilms, and non-returnable items, e.g., journal articles, conference papers.
2. Statistics/Trends, pointing out that ARL institutions have seen a 24% increase for the interlibrary loan of returnables between 1998 and 2004, while non-returnables decreased by 4% during the same period.
3. Reasons for Increases in ILL Transactions, identifying discovery tools that enhance awareness of returnables as a reason for the increase. These tools include indices, searching the Web, and Google Books. Another reason is that borrowing via interlibrary loan is easier than ever before with programs such as Borrow Direct and ILLiad utilities, and lastly, because of flat budgets at libraries for purchasing returnables.
4. Description of Current Practice: Workflow for Borrowing Requests, pointing out that most borrowing (for ARL) is placed via the OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing system. The author mentions the advantage of posting non-returnable PDFs to a secure Web site, allowing the requester a reasonable period to read the document and/or to download it — a practice common with many libraries using ILLiad, Ariel, and other interlibrary loan systems.

Read this white paper at http://ali.bsu.edu/archives/publications/ARL_WhitePaperILL_June2007.pdf. This paper is provided on the ALI website with ARL permission.

While on the topic of resource sharing, each readers’ attention is directed to a white paper developed by the Indiana Resource Sharing Task Force, January 2007, "Wagging the Long Tail: Sharing More of Less; Recommendations for Enhancing Resource Sharing in Indiana."

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, and ALI Board Member, 07-19-2007.]

This is a brief report to ALI Member Library Directors and others about the ALI Sponsored Resource Sharing Workshops held June 5-6, 2007 in Indianapolis at INCOLSA.

Stephanie Spires from ATLAS Systems, creator of ILLiad and Odyssey, Collette Mak from INCOLSA, and I teamed up for the two days of workshops. The sessions were a success:

• Twenty-five ALI librarians received hands-on training from Collette for setting up direct request in both ILLiad and OCLC Resource Sharing Libraries.
• Thirty-two ALI librarians received hands-on training from Stephanie on the setting up and use of the Odyssey software as a means for document delivery software.

Training included a special session for ILLiad libraries that had not implemented the Odyssey component. At lunch each day, I interacted with attendees on aspects of the Resource Sharing White Paper, Wagging the Long Tail: Sharing More of Less; Recommendations for Enhancing Resource Sharing in Indiana, see
http://ali.bsu.edu/Programs/ResourceSharing/IndianaResourceSharingTaskForceWhitePaperJan2007.pdf

Plans are well underway for a resource sharing conference to be held on August 29, 2007. Early discussions about this second conference were presented during our spring board discussions, April 10, 2007, and there is great promise for ALI member participation.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries at Ball State University (Muncie) and his staff have graciously offered to host the conference at Ball State University. The tentative conference name is Discovery to Delivery—Good to Great in Indiana.

Douglas F. Hasty, Head, Access Services Department, Florida International University, is available as our keynote speaker. Collette had the pleasure of hearing him present at the International ILLiad Conference this past Spring, 2007.

Break out sessions on the best practices from the white paper will serve as the morning programming, then innovative/even better practices, such as Purdue's purchase in lieu of Interlibrary Loan program, in the afternoon. So, the morning program will focus on good and the afternoon on great!

INCOLSA will be helping to support the conference financially and the State Library has agreed to contribute several thousand dollars. With co-sponsorship from ALI, the Indiana State Library, and INCOLSA, we should be able to keep the registration fees low to allow many to participate.

This Conference provides another opportunity for academic libraries to enlarge their collaboration on resource sharing. It also allows for collaborative efforts on the part of ALI, the State Library, and INCOLSA in the early months of this new chapter in Indiana library history, and it is a collaborative effort on a topic important to us all—resource sharing!

[Submitted by Robert V. Roethemeyer, Director of Library and Information Services, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. Chair of the ALI Resource Sharing Task Force, and ALI Board Member. 06-25-2007.]

The Indiana State Library recently announced that they had awarded Pillow Express Logistics, Inc. a four-year contract to provide delivery of resource sharing materials statewide for Indiana’s libraries. The service becomes effective on Monday, June 25, 2007.

All Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) members participate in the delivery service, many with five-day per week delivery. Statewide, about 450 libraries participate in the service.

The Indiana State Library will continue to pay for one stop deliver per week per library district, school district, college or university, or state institution, absorbing the cost for delivery except for $75. A library that wants more frequent delivery can have it by paying an additional fee.

View http://digital.statelib.lib.in.us/db/infoexpress_instructions.asp to see a chart that shows costs for adding additions days of delivery per week. The chart can be understood as follows: the first day per week for delivery is $75. For each additional day of delivery per week, the requesting library must pay $425. This means that a library can have five-day per week delivery per week for the year by paying an additional $1,775. This is calculated as follows: $1,775 = (4 x $425) + $75, which is $1,700 + $75.

Because of favorable financial terms negotiated with this contract, the cost for additional days of delivery is about a 38% savings over the cost with the previous contract. This savings should allow libraries with less than five-day per week delivery to increase the frequency of their service to improve their resource sharing capability for their students and faculty.

Libraries are encouraged to renew their statewide library delivery services before June 20, 2007 to avoid any interruption in service. This can be accomplished by visiting http://infoexpress.in.gov, ("Create an Account" tab) or contacting the Indiana State Library Development Office, (317) 232-3697.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, and ALI Board Member, synthesized from various press releases and the cited websites. 06-15-2007.]

This year's Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) annual members meeting on May 10, 2007 was a great success for providing ALI member library directors with the opportunity for professional development and gaining insight about trends and emerging patterns in academic librarianship. There were 57 members in attendance.

ALI's annual members meeting was held at the Indiana Wesleyan University Indianapolis Education Center, a facility that provided quality meeting space, attractive classrooms for the breakout sessions, and ample free parking.

Following a welcome message by President Judith L. Violette, members attended one of four breakout sessions, each of which ran for about 60 minutes:

1. Resource Sharing was facilitated by Robert V. Roethemeyer who gave a presentation about the value and importance of resource sharing. As part of his presentation, he drew from data from the Indiana Resource Sharing Task Force, some of which was published in Wagging the Long Tail: Sharing More of Less; Recommendations for Enhancing Resource Sharing in Indiana. Robert also spoke about ALI-sponsored training opportunities for later this summer. The second part of the session was facilitated by Ball State University Libraries' personnel Suzanne S. Rice, Christy A. Groves, Elaine S. Nelson, and Lisa A. Chambers. With a library director audience in mind, they provided a technological overview, including costs, about the practical applications of resource sharing tools such as ILLiad, Odyssey, Ariel, and more.
2. Digitization Projects was facilitated by Ball State University Libraries' personnel John B. Straw, James A. Bradley, Bradley D. Faust, and P. Budi Wibowo. They presented information about the development of the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, a project of the University Libraries using CONTENTdm, and provided opportunities for questions and discussion by ALI members concerning digital projects.
3. ACRL's "Top Ten Assumptions for the Future of Academic Libraries" was facilitated by James L. Mullins. Participants shared conversation, views, and experiences about these assumptions that the ACRL Research Committee recently published. The session was particularly insightful because James served as chairperson of the 20-06-2007 ACRL Research Committee.
4. Models for Academic Libraries, 2005-2006 was facilitated by David Lewis who has written and spoken nationally about models for academic libraries. Participants discussed important topics about the migration of collections from print to digital format, retiring legacy print collections, among others.

The morning session featured a 45 minute audio presentation by Richard K. Johnson, Senior Advisor, Association of Research Libraries, moderated by Jennifer A. Younger. His topic, "Sharing the Global Digital Library," allowed ALI members to hear Rick's comments about the opportunities, trends, and problems with the sea change caused by the Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and other digitization projects of academic library collections.

Following a buffet lunch during which time ALI members had an opportunity to chat with colleagues and friends, President Judith L. Violette reconvened everyone for the ALI Business Meeting.

The following topics were discussed at the Business Meeting:

1. ALI's mission, which is "...to enhance and enrich access to the full range of information resources and services required to improve the quality of teaching, learning, research, and engagement in Indiana's colleges, universities, and seminaries through collaboration, resource sharing, and advocacy."
2. Acknowledgment of the contribution of the current ALI Board members: Patricia A. Steele, James L. Mullins, Jennifer A. Younger, David W. Lewis, Arthur W. Hafner, Mary G. Persyn, John C. Stachacz, Judith L. Violette, Robert V. Roethemeyer, Daniel J. Bowell, William E. Darr, Judy Tribble, Susan Mannan, Susan Catt, Robert A. Slayton, and Janet Brewer.
3. Acknowledgment of the ALI Task Force Chairs and a brief review of their Task Force's significant accomplishments:
   • Dan Bowell - Database Licensing
   • Susan Mannan - Distance Education/Off-Campus Library Services
   • Patricia A. Steele - Government Documents Light Archives Planning Group/Shared Storage
   • Robert Roethemeyer - Resource Sharing
   • Arthur W. Hafner - Web Site Development and Public Relations
   • Jim Mullins - Strategic Planning
   • Janet Brewer - Nominations
4. Mary G. Persyn presented the treasures report and new budget for 2007-2008.
5. Elections were held and results announced. For 2007-2008, ALI Officers and Board Members are the following 16 persons: James L. Mullins (President), Susan Mannan (Vice President), Mary G. Persyn (Treasurer), William E. Darr (Secretary), Arthur W. Hafner, Daniel J. Bowell, David W. Lewis, Janet S. Fore, Jennifer A. Younger, John M. Robson, John C. Stachacz, Judith L. Violette, Patricia A. Steele, Robert A. Slayton, Robert V. Roethemeyer, Trisha Shively.

Following the Business Meeting, ALI members joined one of five discussion groups to discuss ALI's goals:

• Increase access to electronic databases and content through collaboration by ALI Libraries
• Enhance quality of, access to, and curation of tangible collections within ALI libraries
• Provide effective instructional support for students in partnership with faculty via ALI's libraries
• Support professional development and educational opportunities for librarians in ALI's libraries
• Proactively engage within our institutions, with government organizations, with statewide library agencies, and with schools of library and information science

ALI's Fourth Annual Members Meeting was a success. It provided ALI members the opportunity for forum to participate with other library directors to discuss and advance the membership's priorities for building a member-centered organization. It strengthened ALI's opportunity to be recognized as a national leader in state-wide academic library collaboration by utilizing the individual member strengths for the betterment of all.

Members who may have missed the meeting, or who wish to download the various resource materials from the Annual Members Meeting, can find the various PowerPoints and other resources materials on the ALI website, http://ali.bsu.edu.

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, and ALI Board Member, 05-16-2007.]

The Indiana University Bloomington Libraries 2005-2006 Annual Report, "It's Not All Black and White," received a silver medal in a nationwide competition sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the international association of professionals who advance educational institutions.

Of the 143 entries submitted, judges awarded one grand gold medal, one gold, five silver, and three bronze medals.

The print version of the annual report used bold graphics and interactive folds to demonstrate the opposing demands that libraries face today in serving students and faculty, whose needs vary by discipline, assignment, or even time of day.

Congratulations to all librarians and staff, whose collective accomplishments bring distinction to the Indiana University at Bloomington Libraries.

View the online version, www.indiana.edu/~libadmin/annual/2006/index.html.

[Submitted by Eric Bartheld, Director of Communications, Indiana University Bloomington Libraries, 05-16-2007]

This year's Academic Libraries of Indiana Annual Members Meeting promises to be one of the best yet. The ALI Board of Directors has made every effort for this conference to be the best meetings of the year for professional development and gaining insight about trends and emerging patterns in academic librarianship.

The meeting is Thursday, May 10, at the Indiana Wesleyan Conference Center (Indianapolis), beginning at 9:30 a.m. There is no registration fee, and there is ample free parking. A buffet lunch is included. There are many motels in the area for those who want to come in the night before the conference.

Under separate cover, a booklet of program materials has been sent to each ALI member library director to peruse. These readings span the conference topics that Indiana's academic library directors will want to talk about with colleagues in lively discussion. See the Agenda at http://ali.bsu.edu/memberminutes/Agenda05-10-07.pdf.

Session 1. Resource Sharing
Information and conversation with librarians to help library directors understand more about resource sharing technology, such as ILLiad, Odyssey, Ariel, and more.

Session 2. Digitization Projects
Opportunities to speak directly with experienced project manager librarians and metadata specialists who can address library director's questions about undertaking or expanding a digitization project.

Session 3. ACRL's Recently Published 10 Assumptions
Discussion and opportunity for conversation to share, hear, and understand library directors' views and experiences about the top ten assumptions recently published in a report from the ACRL Research Committee about the immediate future of academic libraries and librarians. This session promises to be special because it will be lead by Purdue's Jim Mullins, 2006-2007 ACRL Research Committee Chair.

Session 4. Models for Academic Libraries, 2005-2025
Opportunities to discuss topics important to library directors about the migration of collections from print to digital format, retiring legacy print collections, and redeveloping library space, among other topics, as academic library directors consider and engage in these undertakings on their campuses. The session will be lead by IUPUI's David Lewis, who has written and spoken nationally about models for academic libraries.

Morning's Key Session
Richard K. Johnson, Senior Advisor, Association of Research Libraries, will provide an audio presentation. His focus is shaping of the global digital library, a topic that holds promise for college and university librarians. As library directors, we are all aware of the sea change caused by the Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and other digitization projects of library collections - topics of conversation on campus in library and curriculum committees. Library directors will not want to miss the opportunity to hear Rick's views about opportunities, trends, problems - and to ask him questions.

ALI Business Meeting
The business meeting is an important opportunity for member library directors to discuss and comment on the development of ALI's Strategic Plan 2007-2012, including perspectives on ALI's vision as a national leader in state-wide academic library collaboration, and ALI's goals for enhancing and enriching access to library and information services through collaboration, resource sharing, and advocacy. Of course, during the business meeting there will also be the election of officers, discussion and approval of ALI's 2007-2008 budget, and action on revising the bylaws.

Notify Mary Persyn via e-Mail if You Can or Cannot Attend
Please send an e-mail to Mary Persyn by May 3, 2007 to let her know if your can or cannot attend the Annual Meeting, Mary.Persyn@valpo.edu. There is NO charge for registration, and lunch is included. Let Mary know your plans so she can order food for the buffet lunch and beverages. Please also tell Mary which one of the excellent conference break-out sessions that you want to attend. There are size restrictions for the seminar rooms, so contact Mary as soon as possible.

Hope to See You on Thursday, May 10
The ALI Board of Directors is very proud of the many accomplishments of our member organization over the past year. Each of us looks forward to speaking with you and hearing your comments so that ALI's focus and direction remains member-centered.

As the leader of an Indiana academic library, your attendance, comments, and participation at the Annual Members Meeting is important for ALI to work effectively to advance members' priorities.

We hope to see you at ALI's upcoming Third Annual Members Meeting on May 10 - a conference that we are sure will be the best that you will attend this year for professional development and discussion about issues facing Indiana's academic library directors.

Summary Details for ALI's Third Annual Members' Meeting

Date: Thursday, May 10
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Place: Indiana Wesleyan Conference Center (Indianapolis)
Agenda: Visit the ALI website, http://ali.bsu.edu/calendar.html

No registration fee, ample free parking, lunch buffet provided

[Submitted by Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, Ball State University, and ALI Board Member, 04-30-2007.]

The Fourth Annual Copyright Conference sponsored by the Ball State University Libraries will be held at the Alumni Center on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. This year's Conference is entitled Digital Trek: To boldly explore copyright in teaching and learning.

The one-day, action-packed, affordably-priced Conference allows participants to hear from today's leading experts in copyright law, plus there is time for questions and answers. Nationally recognized copyright and intellectual property experts at the Conference include the following:

• Dwayne K. Buttler, J.D., Professor, University Libraries, Evelyn J. Schneider Endowed Chair for Scholarly Communications, University of Louisville
• Michelle L. Cooper, J.D., attorney in the Education Law Group at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP
• Kenneth Crews, J.D., Samuel R. Rosen II Professor in the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and in the IU School of Library and Information Science
• Donna L. Ferullo, J.D., Director of the University Copyright Office at Purdue University and Associate Professor of Library Science
• Carl Johnson, Director of the University Copyright Licensing Office at Brigham Young University
• James R. Williams, J.D., attorney at DeFur Voran LLP, Ball State University's legal counsel for education law

The Digital Trek Conference will cover key issues such as the TEACH Act, vodcasting/podcasting and using iTunes University, Fair Use and its application in the classroom, face-to-face teaching issues, and more.

For the second consecutive year, the Conference offers Continuing Legal Education Credits granted by the Indiana Supreme Court's Commission for Continuing Legal Education. This year, the Conference has been approved for 5.7 CLE credits for practicing lawyers. The granting of these CLE credits is an acknowledgment of the quality of the qualifications and expertise of the Conference speakers.

Registration ($80 before March 31 and $125 after) includes lunch, morning coffee, juice, and donuts. Parking is free. Participants will receive free copies of the speakers' handouts. To register or learn more about the Conference, visit the homepage, www.bsu.edu/library/conference/copyright .

[Submitted by Dr. Fritz Dolak, Ball State University Libraries' Copyright and Intellectual Property Manager and Special Assistant to the Dean, University Copyright Center, 02-22-2007. Contact FDolak@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5330 for more information. ]

About 1,500 books were damaged and some 8,500 books were removed from shelves Monday morning (Feb. 5) when a frozen pipe ruptured and sent water cascading through parts of the third, second, first floors, and the basement of the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame.

The library was closed at approximately 9 a.m., when water from the third-floor pipe was discovered on the second floor. None of the books are thought be seriously damaged, and most of the library reopened at 3:30 p.m.

Library officials believe that an air handler on the third floor failed to bring hot air to the water pipe, causing it to freeze and burst when temperatures in the region dropped below zero.

After discovering the flooding, library staff members draped heavy plastic sheeting over the shelves, keeping water off most of the books. The flooding damaged parts of the economics and music collections on the second floor and reached the rare books and special collections areas in the basement, but caused minimal damage to those collections. Wet books were opened and placed next to table and floor fans. The cost estimate of the damaged is not yet available.

As a result of similar incident three years ago, officials said, the library stocked up on supplies of sheeting and other equipment needed in the event of a flood.

Employees from the library, fire department, security police department, facilities maintenance, and risk management and safety assisted with clean-up efforts.

[Adopted from a press release by Don Wycliff and Dennis Brown, http://newsinfo.nd.edu/content.cfm?topicid=21083. 02-06-07]

During Fall Semester 2006, the Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) Walter E. Helmke Library reference librarians piloted a new mobile reference service. The goals of the project were to provide reference services at the point of need and to increase the visibility and presence of the liaison librarians within their departments/schools and on campus.

During the pilot project, three librarians, liaisons to education, engineering, and nursing, identified likely places to provide their mobile reference service. In most cases, they selected a department computer cluster where students would be likely to gather. They contacted faculty to determine optimal times to provide the service, and they created advertisements for the service. They established a second area of outreach in a busy general commons area.

With only one laptop to share, the librarians quickly learned that scheduling was the biggest obstacle. Getting the message out was a second problem to overcome, especially in the commons area where faculty referral was not provided.

For both students and librarians the project was a very positive experience, and faculty endorsed it enthusiastically as well. Nearly all of the students who asked questions had never asked a librarian a question before, and several had never yet been to the library.

The mobile reference program continues this semester with an additional laptop and at least one more librarian participating. One of the newly targeted locations will be the campus writing center, where the staff there are especially excited about this new library service.

[Submitted by Judith L. Violette, Director of Library Services at Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne, 01-31-2007. Contact Tiff Adkins, AdkinsT@ipfw.edu for more information.]

The FY 2007-2009 Indiana biennial state budget has been delivered to the State Budget Committee. The proposed budget includes a recommendation from the State Budget Agency to, "Redirect activities performed by the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA), but funded by general fund dollars, to the State Library. Funding should be retained by the State Library for improved accountability."

The Budget Agency's recommendations were based on an Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) PROBE Report, www.in.gov/omb/gefp/2006PROBEReport-Full.pdf, made after fully reviewing the services, expenditures, and accountability of the State Library, INCOLSA, and all state agencies in the Executive branch from mid-2005 forward. The proposed State budget can be accessed at www.in.gov/sba/budget/2007_budget/as_submitted/pdfs/as_2007_C_Detail.pdf. Pages VII-24 & VII-25 lists the Library budget.

Although the budget has implications for the Indiana State Library and INCOLSA, the state's public, academic, school, and special libraries will see continued and additional services during the next biennium. If the budget is adopted, INCOLSA will continue to provide programming until tax-supported programs are transferred to the State Library, which is anticipated to be completed by July 1, 2007.

"Should funding be redirected, the State Library is prepared to deliver government funded services currently provided by INCOLSA," said Roberta Brooker, Interim Director of the Indiana State Library. "We will be working with librarians and library organizations throughout the state to develop an effective plan of action so that statewide services to all Indiana libraries not only continue but are enhanced and expanded."

INCOLSA has been a line item in the State Library's budget since the cooperative was formed in 1974. If the budget is adopted, the State Library will retain INCOLSA's annual appropriation from the state's general fund for continued services to Indiana's libraries. The State Library expects to provide these taxpayer supported library services at a lower cost than currently administered. These savings will be reinvested by the State Library to provide enhanced and additional programs and services for Indiana's libraries and citizens.

"This is about providing services that benefit all Indiana libraries and their patrons, while at the same time providing the accountability and efficiency Hoosier taxpayers deserve," said Brooker.

The Indiana State Library will begin making the necessary preparations and infrastructure improvements for the provision of new library services as proposed in the Budget Agency's recommendation. In the coming months, the State Library will continue to work with Hoosier librarians and statewide organizations to ensure a smooth transition of library services.

The Indiana State Library will be holding town hall meetings at several sites across Indiana to provide information and seek input about statewide library services. The Indiana State Library also plans to keep Indiana's library community informed of developments relating to the transition of services. Updates and important information will be relayed through our website, www.statelib.lib.in.us, newsletters, and listservs.

[Press release from Indiana State Library media contact, Drew Griffis, (317) 234-5067, AGriffis@statelib.lib.in.us., 01-15-2007]