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Show Me The World Resource-Sharing

                                            

“Show Me The World” is a program to promote resource-sharing for public libraries in Missouri. Through contracts and grants, the Missouri State Library provides the following services to tax-supported public libraries.

WorldCat

Patrons and library staff can use OCLC’s WorldCat database to locate books and other materials held by more than 10,000 libraries worldwide.

The Missouri State Library uses Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds to pay the fee for state aid-eligible public libraries in Missouri to use WorldCat Discovery from OCLC. WorldCat Discovery provides a library-unique URL for patrons to search the WorldCat database and item requests are automatically sent to the library’s WorldShare ILL account.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Library staff can place requests to borrow books from another library.  In some libraries, patrons can place requests directly from WorldCat.

The Missouri State Library uses Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds to pay the subscription fee for state-aid-eligible public libraries in Missouri to use WorldShare ILL from OCLC. Libraries using the OCLC ILL service pay a fee for “access charges” directly to OCLC.

Get Connected Courier Service

Using LSTA grant funds, the Mid-America Library Alliance (MALA) promotes resource-sharing among Missouri public libraries by offering its courier service for interlibrary loan.  In fiscal year 2022, there are 128 public libraries participating with one, two, or three stops per week paid for by the grant.  Libraries can add more stops, up to a total of five, by using local funds.  Questions about this service should be directed to Jane Mulvihill-Jones, MALA executive director, at (816) 521-7267.

Missouri Evergreen Consortium

Missouri Evergreen member libraries share an online catalog and their patrons can search for and request items held at other member libraries without using their local library’s interlibrary loan service. The requested items will be delivered to the patron’s home/local library by the Get Connected Courier Service. Missouri Evergreen contracts with Equinox to host, support, and migrate libraries to the Evergreen integrated library system (ILS). Using LSTA grant funds, the Missouri State Library provides supplemental funds for ILS hosting and support and migrating new members to the consortium. The Consortium started in 2012 with four libraries and has grown to 56 libraries. Questions about Missouri Evergreen should be directed to Mickey Coalwell, Missouri Evergreen Consortium executive director, at [email protected].

Please contact Janet Caruthers at (573) 526-1087 if you have questions about any of these Show Me The World programs.