Thanks very much to Mike for his reply. My primary reason for floating the
idea of zeroing out collections budgets until staffing and hours are
restored is to raise a few issues about how libraries in Minnesota share
materials:
1. Minneapolis Public Library is a member of MnLink, a statewide consortium
of libraries that includes the University of Minnesota, the MnSCU system,
and dozens of other institutions. Anyone with a MPL library card can borrow
materials from any of these institutions. So even if MPL doesn't buy new
books you can still get them with little hassle. Try it: www.mnlink.org.
It's pretty cool.
2. MPL is also a member of the Electronic Library of Minnesota, or ELM.
Through ELM you can search fifteen subscription databases containing
millions of articles and reference sources. So even if MPL zeroes out it's
electronic collections budget they still have access to the core of their
electronic collection. ELM is cool, too. Try it at www.elm4you.org.
3. Libraries have figured out that sharing materials among institutions is
a good way to do business. It's time to stop thinking about 'the MPL
collection' and realizing that we've made it to the point where we have one
single, statewide collection.
4. The MPL is a key player in sharing library resources across the state.
If MPL doesn't have books to loan to users statewide it will get noticed in
a way that reducing library hours in local communitiy libraries won't.
Public libraries in the Twin Cities have less clout in statewide politics
than libraries in some of the other regions. When they start to feel
effects of MPL's budget crunch -- in the form of having to loan out more
materials to MPL and not having any to borrow -- then lawmakers are more
apt to see MPL's funding problems as a statewide issue, which it truly is.
Eric Hinsdale
www.erichinsdale.com
From: "Mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Mpls] From Candidates Library Board Forum
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:54:26 -0500
In his post yesterday, Library Board Candidate Eric Hinsdale suggested that
"MPL stop buying new materials (save for children's and foreign language
materials) until we restore the branch libraries to full staffing and
normal
hours."
That's frightening (unless you're a child or speak a foreign language).
I have been told that libraries are for everyone. Would that not be true
for
the Hinsdale Model? I don't have anything against children or foreign
languages, but I don't have much use for them either.
What if full staffing and normal hours don't happen for five years?
What if they're never restored?
Should the library deprive people of books with updated material in the
Science and Technology fields? How about History or Business?
I'm sure some tough decisions have to be made by the board of any major
metropolitan library, but cuts in service or materials should be equal for
all citizens.
Mr. Hinsdale may have some good ideas, but I don't think this is one of
them.
No sir, I don't like it.
Mike Nelson
Central
Peoples Republic of Minneapolis
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