July 9, 2004

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the Library of Michigan has awarded more than $620,000 to a variety of library projects through the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) fiscal year 2004 grant program.  LSTA grants help libraries accomplish two key goals:  the utilization of technology for enhanced information sharing among libraries and between libraries and other community agencies, and the creation and support of programs that make library resources more available to urban and rural locales, low-income residents, and others with limited library access.

"A library is very often the heart of the community, a gateway for learning and important literacy skills," said Governor Granholm.  "These critical federal dollars will help our libraries continue to give Michigan residents access to the information and education they need."

State Librarian Christie Pearson Brandau said this year's grant projects demonstrate a dedication to the best in technology and customer service.  "Libraries are here to serve patrons of all ages, in all communities, large and small," she said.  "The projects funded in this round of LSTA grants will mean greater access to information, a continued commitment to literacy, and preservation of history."

LSTA grants to Michigan libraries are awarded in two competitive categories: collaboration and partnership and the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) preparedness.  Brandau cited the Manchester District Library project to digitize 137 years' worth of the Manchester Enterprise and make them available on the Web via the Making of Modern Michigan project (mmm.lib.msu.edu) as an excellent example of collaboration with long-term benefits.

"By working with digital-preservation experts at Michigan State University, library staff and local volunteers will ultimately create a local-history resource accessible electronically to anyone," Brandau said. 

On the new-technology front, a $116,843 "MeLCat Preparedness" grant awarded to Marquette's Superiorland Library Cooperative is a major step toward uniting libraries throughout the Upper Peninsula and bridging them to their Lower Peninsula counterparts.  LSTA funds will cover one-time partial costs of bringing more than 62 libraries to next-generation integrated library system (ILS) software, thus providing efficient and economical access to regional resources for people served by the U.P.'s diverse small, rural libraries. 

Upon this project's completion, participating U.P. libraries' collections will be available to residents statewide, and U.P. residents will gain new access to a wealth of information available from libraries in the Lower Peninsula, too. 

This year, 17 projects statewide will receive $622,929 in LSTA funding.  Coupled with a 20-percent match requirement in the "collaboration and partnership" funding area and extensive in-kind cost sharing, well over $700,000 will be spent on these projects.  This cash-match requirement leverages LSTA dollars so that a greater number of local library projects may receive funding.

Remaining LSTA dollars are used to support a number of initiatives, such as the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) (www.mel.org), that collectively serve all Michigan residents.  The electronic resources available at MeL - including e-books, commercial databases for research, LearnATest and librarian-selected Internet subject collections - are available at no charge to every Michigan resident, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Other examples of projects with statewide impact include the Michigan Association of Media in Education's effort to raise public awareness of a study linking higher MEAP reading scores with the presence of a degreed school library media specialist; and the Michigan Library Association's effort to create a strategic plan that addresses the changing needs of all Michigan libraries and their target populations while taking into account long-term financial viability.

The LSTA program was enacted in September 1996, as a continuation of the former Library Services and Construction Act.  The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administers the LSTA program on the federal level.  The complete list of 2004 LSTA grant recipients (listed alphabetically by city within each category) follows.  A fuller description of each grant project can be found at www.michigan.gov/lsta.

MELCAT PREPAREDNESS - LSTA GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Library of Michigan is designing a statewide information-delivery service that seeks ultimately to link all Michigan residents to the information they need, whenever and wherever they need it, and in the format they desire.  Components of this "MeLCat" system include electronic delivery of full-text and digitized resources, as well as physical delivery of items not available electronically.  Such statewide resource sharing really opens up a new world of access, as patrons can search the combined catalog of libraries statewide, request items, and have them delivered to their local libraries. 

Additionally, LSTA funds are helping to improve the "face" of MeL, making it much easier for users to search across all available MeL components.  For further information on the Michigan eLibrary, the MeLCat project and its resource-sharing component, visit http://michiganelibrary.org.

MeLCat Preparedness grants were provided to the following Michigan libraries to assist them in their readiness efforts for participation in the new resource-sharing system.  This system will be based on standards-compliant, integrated library systems (ILS).  MeLCat Preparedness grants will help libraries acquire or participate in shared integrated library systems that function with recognized standards and protocols.

-City: Adrian
Award Amount: $25,000; Grantee: Lenawee Intermediate School District; Project Name: LISD Migration to Horizon Project

-City: Alpena   
Award Amount: $75,000; Grantee: Northland Library Cooperative; Project Name: Sharing the Bytes

-City: Cadillac 
Award Amount: $79,715; Grantee: Mid-Michigan Library League; Project Name: MeLCat-compliant Shared ILS

-City: Detroit    
Award Amount: $24,950; Grantee: Lewis College of Business; Project Name: Shared ILS

-City: East Tawas             
Award Amount: $25,000; Grantee: Iosco-Arenac District Library; Project Name: Automate the Iosco-Arenac District Library Circulation System

-City: Flint (and Lapeer County)           
Award Amount: $35,000; Grantee: Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative; Project Name: The LION Connection

-City: Marquette       
Award Amount: $116,843; Grantee: Superiorland Library Cooperative; Project Name: Upper Peninsula Libraries Together: The Next Generation

-City: Mt. Pleasant             
Award Amount: $50,000; Grantee: Chippewa River District Library; Project Name: I C More Catalog Project

-City: Saginaw
Award Amount: $74,897; Grantee: White Pine Library Cooperative; Project Name: Enhancing Regional Resource Sharing

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP - LSTA GRANT RECIPIENTS

Funds in this category are intended to assist Michigan libraries in pioneering innovative services with collaborative partners and in sharing the knowledge gained through partnerships with other libraries.  Grants may be awarded to projects that seek to meet increased demand for information and library services or those that identify opportunities for partnership and resource sharing with library and non-library agencies.

-City: Bay City 

Award Amount: $19,338; Grantee: Bay County Library System; Project Name: Making The Connection

-City: Clarkston

Award Amount: $10,000; Grantee: Independence Township Library; Project Name: Oakland County Historical Connections

-City: Flint       

Award Amount: $10,000; Grantee: Flint Public Library; Project Name: Community Historical Collections: Preparing for Digital Preservation and Access

-City: Flint       

Award Amount: $6,905; Grantee: Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative; Project Name: The Braille Connection

-City: Manchester     

Award Amount: $14,889; Grantee: Manchester District Library; Project Name: Available to All: 137 Years of Small Town Michigan History

-City: Muskegon       

Award Amount: $6,908; Grantee: Hackley Memorial Library; Project Name: Muskegon Images

-City: Onaway 

Award Amount: $24,000; Grantee: Onaway Area Community Schools Library; Project Name: The LibLink Project

-City: Saginaw

Award Amount: $24,484; Grantee: Public Libraries of Saginaw; Project Name: Power Up Your Reading

The Library of Michigan is the state administrative agency for LSTA, annually processing more than $5 million in grants to benefit Michigan libraries and the populations they serve. 

The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).  Dedicated to enriching the quality of life for Michigan residents by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.