More than 1,600 librarians and support staff work at OhioLINK’s 91 member institutions. While I’m impressed with their dedication every day, I’d like to express my admiration this week in particular, as April 13-19 marks National Library Week.
Librarians and staff at our member institutions teach. They code. They blog. They painstakingly explain over and over again why Wikipedia is good for some things but not for others.
They assist students with research and faculty with assignment design. They staff reference desks and circulation desks on nights and weekends.
They build collections of print material and electronic resources for the benefit of their patrons. They participate in the national professional organization (ALA – American Library Association) as well as the state professional organization (ALAO – Academic Library Association of Ohio.)
Many of them also help to steer OhioLINK through service on committees and task forces. Approximately 200 people serve on our advisory councils and five active committees. This ensures representation of Ohio’s public and private four-year institutions, as well as the libraries of independent universities and technical/community colleges. These talented individuals all collaborate to make the consortium better.
In fact, the hallmark of OhioLINK is cooperation. Our member institutions share more than 50 million print items via the OhioLINK central catalog. On the e-resources side, 83% of the funding for annual e-journal and database purchases comes from institutions. They pool their funds to get more content at a lower cost for everyone.
The rewards are clear. For less than the cost of one academic textbook, for one student, for one class – that’s $65 – OhioLINK members have access to the latest e-journal and database content from the top publishers.
Collaboration extends far beyond the business office, though. The librarians and staff of OhioLINK member institutions embody an unheralded spirit of sharing. Their collective knowledge is incredibly impressive in its depth and breadth. The state of Ohio can boast of nationally known experts on open access, e-books, reference services, and intellectual freedom, just to name a few examples. From helping each other troubleshoot issues to discussing current hot topics to answering questions for a new staffer (me), Ohio librarians consistently showcase a willingness to share their expertise.
While National Library Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate these accomplishments, we here at OhioLINK think the vast skills of our members should be extolled throughout the year. In the coming months, look for profiles of some of these outstanding individuals on our website. And, to the librarians and staff reading this, thank you for all that you do.
