Whately Office Update

The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) has executed a purchase and sale agreement for their Whatley facility.  Closing is planned for late January to allow for inspection needs and other contingencies.  The USDA is reviewing documentation to consider the short sale.

MLS will have a four-month short-term lease after the closing.  Western Mass. MLS staff visited the machine shop operated by the buyers.  After the visit staff members expressed a preference to find a new location.  The chief reasons are that staff would be cramped sharing the existing space with the new owners and there is resistance to working and hosting members in an environment with chemicals, oils, and machine shop odors.

The MLS has been working with their realtor to seek an alternate location in the I-91 corridor.   They are not closing the door on a longer-term lease in the Whately facility until they find a suitable location.

Address any questions to Greg Pronevitz, Mass. Library System, Executive Director,

greg@masslibsystem.org, www.MassLibSystem.org  508-357-2121 x303  |  866-627-7228 x303 (Mass.)

Have you signed up for the Whately meeting July 22, 2013?

The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) Executive Board’s next meeting is July 22^nd in Whately.  At 12 noon-1 pm MLS will host a discussion to gather input from stakeholders on the future of MLS’s ongoing presence in western Massachusetts.   They are inviting member libraries and stakeholders to attend and take part in a conversation about MLS’s long-term future in Western Massachusetts.  As they begin to consider alternative locations, they need to hear the members’ preferences.  Have you signed up so the MLS Executive Board can hear your voice?

The Executive Board of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS) met on June 17^th to hear a recommendation by MLS Executive Director, Greg Pronevitz, to investigate new avenues, in addition to continuing to seek a tenant, to eliminate the unnecessary costs incurred for the Whately facility as well as the staff responsibilities required to manage a large building.  These avenues include putting the facility up for sale.  The Board voted to accept the recommendation.  The MLS Executive Board also acts as the Executive Board of WMRLS.

Please register online so they can plan for your attendance:

Provide Input on MLS Strategic Plan This Tuesday!

On Tuesday, September 18 from 1 pm until 2:30 pm, representatives from the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) will be introducing their Strategic Plan at the Whately facility.  They are hoping to get input from as many librarians as possible while the Plan is still in draft form. 

Hopefully, western Massachusetts can have a great turnout for this event.  MLS can only effectively serve our needs if we let them know what is and is not working for us!  Please help them help us by attending this event, hearing what their Plan is, and offering constructive feedback.

Registration information is here:

 http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MLS&ref=EK&refNote=TaF#9/18/2012

Review the Plan at:  

http://www.masslibsystem.org/planning/

The Western Mass Library Advocates Board hopes to see you Tuesday.  Join us and be involved.

WMLA Seeks Your Input

Western Massachusetts Librarians, Trustees and Library Users:

This upcoming Tuesday (March 6), members of the Western Massachusetts Library Advocates (WMLA) will be attending a joint meeting with members of the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) Facilities Committee, as well as several of our Legislators and aides. The topic will be the future of the MLS facility in Whately and service to librarians in our area.

WMLA would like to articulate the views of the librarians in our area on this topic. To do this most effectively and accurately, I am asking for input from our membership. If you would like your views to be heard and represented at this meeting, please feel free to share them with me. I will be presenting a report on WMLA’s perspective—and to do this accurately, I will need input.

Thanks for your attention and suggestion. And have a great weekend!

Eric Poulin, President, Western MA Library Advocates

Eric Poulin

Greenfield Community College

Professional Library Materials Collection Available For Loan

The professional collections of the former regional library systems have been merged together and are now housed at the Whately office of the Massachusetts Library System. You can browse the entire professional collection from the link below:

http://masslibsystem.masscat.org/

You can even place your own requests to borrow items from the professional collection! You can find instructions on placing your borrowing requests at this link:

http://www.masslibsystem.org/mls-professional-collection/

If you have questions about how to access the collection, contact Mary King, Nora Blake or any of the other MLS Advisors.

Mary King, Advisor
MLS-Whately Office
800/282-7755, ext. 117
Email: mking@masslibsystem.org

Nora Blake, MassCat Manager
ext. 123
Email: nblake@masslibsystem.org

MLS Delivery Services Meeting [Whately]

On Wednesday, May 4, the MLS is meeting with interested members of all Massachusetts library networks to discuss changes to MLS Delivery Services that are planned for July 1, 2011. The MLS plans to change vendors and begin implementation of new technology that will eventually allow most libraries to eliminate the need to place a routing label on outgoing items. While this technology is not imminent for all Networks, the MLS would like to discuss their plans with member libraries. Remote access to this meeting will be made available to those who cannot attend in person.

Massachusetts Library System (MLS) Update

The following message was posted to the WMRLS email discussion list on July 18, 2010

On July 1st the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) will begin operations. All regional library services will be delivered by this new organization. Members of the six former regions will automatically become members of MLS as a result of the merger that has been taking place over the past several months.

This is a sad time as we wish the best to many of our regional colleagues who will not be continuing with the new organization due to budget constraints. We will miss them. They deserve our thanks for the stellar work they have done to allow member libraries to be successful and thrive. And those of us in the regional library systems appreciate the support of our members during this difficult time.

Now it is time to look to the future. We will be developing MLS to continue this important work for all libraries in Massachusetts. Granted our budget and staffing levels are smaller. We will need to take advantage of the streamlined administration designed by the Regional Transition Planning Team and the MLS Executive Board to build an efficient service center and fulfill the MLS mission:

The Massachusetts Library System, a state-supported collaborative, fosters cooperation, communication, innovation, and sharing among member libraries of all types. The MLS promotes equitable access to excellent library services and resources for all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts.

MLS headquarters will be located at 135 Beaver Street in Waltham. We will also maintain an office at 4 Sandy Lane, Whately. You may know these locations as the current headquarters of the Metrowest and Western Massachusetts Library Systems. The other regional offices will be closed in order to reduce operating costs.

MLS Contact Information as of July 1, 2010:

781-398-1819 – We will establish a toll free number too.

www.masslibsystem.org - This site is live and already includes some information about MLS

MLS will use a new email broadcast tool. Official statewide announcements from MLS will be sent from
mls-announcements@mblc.state.ma.us. This mailing list is broadcast only. Recipients can respond to the sender but not to the entire list. We will provide sign up information. If you are currently subscribed to a regional listserv, this new list will include your email address.

The "allregions" listserv will remain available for communications among members.

We will be posting additional phone numbers and email addresses as they are established.

MLS Core Services will include:

Delivery
Mediated Interlibrary Loan and Journal Article Document Delivery
Continuing Education
Advisory and Consulting Services
Online Content, e.g., databases
Purchasing Cooperatives
Summer Reading Program
MassCat

Delivery Services will be provided in a familiar way. Former WMRLS members will continue to be served by the same delivery personnel and a small amount of contract work. The current provider, Eastern Carrier, will serve the central region. Eastern Connection will continue to serve both the metrowest and northeast regions. The southeastern and Boston regions will be served by Optima. This will be a change for the Boston region.

Mediated interlibrary loan will be provided by the Thomas Crane Memorial Library in Quincy and the Wellesley Free Library. Libraries will be served by their current provider. The Boston Public Library will continue to provide journal article document delivery service.

MLS staff will begin planning continuing education programs, advisory services, and next year's summer reading program in July. Watch our web site for announcements.

Some of the six regions are renewing their licenses for online content for fy2011. While MLS will not be directly involved in these services, we need to know if you face any issues.

Purchasing cooperative information is being issued by the six regions. MLS will later consolidate this information on our site.

MassCat, a shared integrated library system with about 80 members, will continue as a service of MLS.

MLS will provide many opportunities for members to participate in governance and in providing advice and feedback to assist us in meeting your libraries' needs. I encourage you to participate and to stay in touch with us and let us know your thoughts about our services.

By Greg Pronevitz, MLS Executive Director designee

greg@nmrls.org - 888-326-7772 – until June 30th

greg@masslibsystem.org - 781-398-1819 on July 1st

WMRLS Exec Board Vote on MLS Merger

Dear WMRLS Staff, Member Libraries and other library colleagues:

After lengthy and heartfelt discussion yesterday, the Executive Board of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS) voted – 8 in favor, 2 opposed, and 1 abstaining – to proceed with the merger of WMRLS into the Massachusetts Library System (MLS). This vote was made on the condition that the Agreement of Merger document will be amended to call for regional corporations to remain in a “dormant” state instead of terminating entirely when the merger goes into effect.

This vote by the Executive Board gives the voting representatives of the WMRLS Council of Members the opportunity to vote for or against the merger at its meeting on May 25 at the Agawam Public Library. A 2/3 vote of the entire voting membership needs to approve the merger in order for it to take place. Similar voting opportunities are taking place in the other regions as well. We are preparing information to explain the consequences of votes in favor of, or in opposition to, the merger so that informed decisions can be made. We hope as many of our member libraries will join in the discussion and the vote.

We do not know the final outcome of the State budget process for MBLC Regional account 7000-9401, and whether it will call for 2 regions or not. The House of Representatives approved such language in its version of the FY11 budget, as proposed by many Western legislators in response to the concerns expressed by their constituents. The Senate is working right now on its version of the budget. It will be several weeks before the final version of the State budget will be determined.

In the meantime, the Board wishes to encourage member libraries and ALL library advocates and support organizations across the State to unite and work tirelessly on behalf of a restoration of funds for the regional account. Instead of the 29% reduction currently called for in the Governor’s and House versions of the budget, the figures being sought are the $14.8 million statutory funding levels (from the MBLC Legislative Agenda) or at least the $12.3 million in the current FY10 account. State funding for regional services has made possible cost-effective and valued services to libraries and residents across the State since the 1960s. That work must continue at adequate funding levels for the benefit of all libraries.

Yours truly, John Ramsay, Regional Administrator