October 1, 2003
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Boston Library Consortium's Board of Directors (BLC) and the
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), we are writing to inform you
that the Consortium's Board of Directors voted not to continue participation in the
statewide Virtual Catalog at the conclusion of the grant period, December 31, 2003. At
that time, the Consortium will continue to offer the Virtual Catalog as a BLC members
only project, and the MBLC will continue to support and expand the statewide Virtual
Catalog for the networks and other interested participants in Massachusetts.
The BLC is very appreciative of the funding support provided by the several MBLC
developmental grants. The Virtual Catalog produced valuable improvements in service
for both users of the state networks and the participating members of the BLC.
Since the inception of the initial grant, the Consortium has added members in
Connecticut and New Hampshire. The expansion and a review of the BLC's goals
prompted the Board's decision.
The Consortium and MBLC will work together to assure continuation of this service to
our respective constituencies. We will be meeting with Dynix representatives in the
coming weeks to discuss the transition. We will send messages to the various listservs to
keep you apprised of our progress in this area and to alert you to any changes
forthcoming.
Sincerely,
Robert C. Maier Barbara G. Preece
Director, MBLC Executive Director, BLC
