EMCC joins MSU-led regional library consortium

Contact: Maridith Geuder

Presidents Rick Young of EMCC (l) and Mark Keenum of MSU recently marked the formal participation of the community college in the Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium. EMCC's Donna Ballard and MSU's Stephen Cunetto, library staff members at the respective institutions, also were part of the program.
Presidents Rick Young of EMCC (l) and Mark Keenum of MSU recently marked the formal participation of the community college in the Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium. EMCC's Donna Ballard and MSU's Stephen Cunetto, library staff members at the respective institutions, also were part of the program.

STARKVILLE--Administered and maintained by Mississippi State, the Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium is adding East Mississippi Community College as its newest member.

EMCC President Rick Young joined university President Mark Keenum recently in making the announcement.

Established in 1993 with initial participation from MSU and Mississippi University for Women, the consortium provides a central database that allows patrons to access resources available at participating libraries in the Golden Triangle area.

Starkville High School, Armstrong Middle School, the Tombigbee Regional Library System, and Oktibbeha-Starkville Public Library are members. Each has added bibliographic and patron databases to the comprehensive computer server used for circulation, online catalog, acquisitions, and serials system needs.

In August, the databases for the community college's Scooba and Mayhew campuses were integrated into the library server housed at the MSU Libraries.

"This consortium is a wonderful example of sharing resources and creating efficiencies that benefit students in area schools," Keenum said. "We're pleased that EMCC has become the newest member."

Donna Ballard, EMCC's district librarian, said the consortium "provides an opportunity to work with other libraries in the area and offer easy access to resources throughout the Golden Triangle."

"Our patrons not only will have access to the collections at the other member libraries, but we also will be able to share our collection with others," Ballard added.

Stephen Cunetto, MSU Libraries' administrator of systems, said one-stop searching is a key advantage of the consortium.

"One of the goals always has been to provide seamless access to resources throughout the Golden Triangle," he observed. "No longer does a student have to search multiple databases to identify a library in the area that has the materials needed.

"During these economic times it makes even more sense to work together and to share our materials and our technical expertise," Cunetto said.

For more information on the Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium and on MSU Libraries, please visit http://library.msstate.edu/gtrlc.

For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.