Statewide Cooperative Projects
The Montana State Library encourages collaboration between libraries and their partners, promotes library automation standards and plays a significant role in statewide training. Here are some of the current statewide projects:
Montana Shared Catalog
Imagine being able to find out what more than 100 libraries across Montana have in their collections. Imagine having other libraries share staff expertise with your library. The shared catalog gives your patrons convenient access to a large collection of materials. There are other shared catalogs in Montana. Both Montana State University and the University of Montana host shared catalogs for member academic libraries and several school districts, including Missoula and Billings, link libraries with a shared circulation system. The State Library continues to add libraries to the Montana Shared Catalog project, so look for demos and discussions in your area.
Statewide OCLC and electronic-content contracts
It's cheaper for libraries to work together to buy the products they need, so MSL negotiates statewide contracts for OCLC services and for magazine article databases. OCLC services include online tools to help libraries catalog materials and borrow/lend books with other libraries. You can find the magazine databases at http://mymontanalibrary.org or you can set up direct access to these resources from your library's website.
Montana Worldcat
An online gateway for searching library catalogs in Montana. Try it at http://montana.worldcat.org.
Other Projects
MSL continues to expand what Montana libraries can provide to users. State library goals include making it easier for users to discover and request materials from Montana and around the world; exploring ways to expedite delivery of materials from library to library such as courier services; promoting collaborative collection development; simplifying access to electronic content for patrons; and creating online access to Montana-related digital materials held by both libraries and individuals. Please see http://libraries.msl.mt.gov/statewide_projects for a listing of current projects.
ASPeN: The New Library Directory
- Home
- Introduction
- Wanted: A Library Director
- Contacts
- Montana Library Scene
- Montana Library Scene Overview
- Montana Public Libraries
- Montana State Library
- Montana Library Association
- Wired-MT and Focus
- Federations
- Continuing Education in Montana
- Certification
- Public Library Standards
- Montana Shared Catalog
- Library Director, Trustee, and Local Government
- Library Director, Trustee and Local Government Overview
- Library Laws
- New Library Staff
- Library Board Overview
- Responsibilities of the Library Board and the Director
- Tips For Working With the Library Board
- Getting Boards to Attend Meetings and Plan for the Library
- Policies vs. Procedures
- Policies vs. Procedures Overview
- Policies
- Procedures
- Public Service
- Public Service Overview
- Customer Service
- Reader’s Advisory
- Reference
- Reference Interview
- Circulation
- Interlibrary Loan
- Outreach
- Programs
- Visiting Senior Centers and/or Schools
- Services to the Homebound
- Bookmobiles
- Children Services
- Young Adult Services
- Adult Services
- Collection Development
- Collection Development Overview
- Assessing the Collection
- Collection Development Policy
- Collection Management Honor Roll
- Selecting Items for the Collection
- Acquisitions
- Weeding or Deselection
- Technical Services
- Technical Services Overview
- Organizing Your Collection
- Classification and Cataloging
- Processing and Mending
- Public Relations
- Public Relations Overview
- Library’s Image
- Publicity
- Programming
- Community Relations
- Role of Trustees
- Marketing
- Friends and Volunteers
- Friends and Volunteers Overview
- Friends of the Library
- How to Organize a Friends Group
- How to Revitalize Your Friends
- Volunteers
- Volunteer Programs
- Recruiting Volunteers
- Managing and Keeping Volunteers
- Personnel
- Personnel Overview
- Personnel Policy
- Hiring
- Interviewing
- Job Evaluations
- Discipline and Termination
- Grievance Procedures
- Important Employment Laws
- Finances
- Finances Overview
- Local Funding Sources
- State Funding Sources
- Information Access Montana Act
- Coal Severance Tax
- Federal Funding Sources
- Library Services and Technology Act
- Telecommunications Discount Program (E-Rate)
- Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
- Library Foundations
- Other Funding Sources
- Budgeting
- Budgeting Calendar
- Following the Money
- Planning for the Future
- Planning for the Future Overview
- Long Range Planning
- Preparing to Plan
- Describing Your Community
- Your Community’s Vision
- Questions That Should Be Answered
- Planning for Disaster
- Technology in the Library
- Technology in the Library Overview
- Planning and Evaluating Technology
- Automation
- Statewide Cooperative Projects
- E-Rate
- Montana State Library
- Montana State Library Overview
- Montana State Library Commission
- Montana State Librarian
- Library Development Division
- Montana Talking Book Library
- Montana Digital Library
- Publications
- Timeline of Required Paperwork
- Explanation of Paperwork Required by Montana State Library