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Mississippi Delta Community College Joins Mississippi Library Partnership
Dr. Tyrone Jackson signs an agreement for MDCC to join the Mississippi Library Partnership
while Director of Library Services Kristy Bariola looks on.
November 16, 2020
Mississippi Delta Community College’s library system joined the Mississippi Library
Partnership (MLP) in Oct., adding its approximately 27,000 titles to the consortium
that now includes 55 members from across the state.
Originally established in 1993, the partnership offers member institutions cost efficiencies and shared resources. MLP provides a library automation system, administered by Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries, which also lends technical expertise, support and training to members.
“Mississippi Delta Community College is excited to partner with Mississippi State University in enhancing technological services to benefit our students and others at MDCC. The expansion of library and learning resources elevates student access by providing additional tools in the matriculation process,” said MDCC President Tyrone Jackson.
All within Miss., member libraries include public and academic institutions with combined holdings of more than 3.1 million titles. MLP allows patrons to request books from any member library and pick them up at their own local library.
“The Mississippi Library Partnership is a very successful example of what our state’s universities, community colleges and local libraries can achieve by working together,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “Innovation and collaboration are a focal point for Mississippi State, and we look forward to working with MDCC and all of our other partners to further enhance this productive initiative as technology continues to transform libraries and learning resources.”
MDCC’s library system includes three entities – the Stanny Sanders Library at the Moorhead Campus, the Greenville Higher Education Center Library and the Greenwood Center Library.
Patrons are not limited to their home library but can also easily search resources shared throughout the consortium and check out materials conveniently with their local library card. A courier service delivers needed books to the various member libraries.
“The MDCC Library System is excited to be joining such a great group of libraries through the MLP Consortium. There are several reasons we wanted to join the consortium, one being immediate access to technical support for our library automation system,” said Kristy Bariola, MDCC’s Director of Library Services. “If we have any questions or problems, we can receive an immediate response instead of waiting two to three days. In addition, it allows our students, faculty and staff access to a wealth of additional resources provided through the consortium.”
Stephen Cunetto, associate dean of MSU Libraries, said that in addition to other cost efficiencies, member libraries have access to a larger, more robust automation system for what they pay.
“With MSU managing the whole system for all the different libraries and training their staff, it’s more individualized and specialized,” Cunetto said. “Through the Mississippi Library Partnership, we open another layer of resources for patrons.”
For more about the Mississippi Delta Community College library system, visit https://www.msdelta.edu/library.
For more about the Mississippi Library Partnership, visit http://lib.msstate.edu/mlp.