Troy, N.Y. - The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a grant of $40,000 to support planning for a university library consortium that includes Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Lawrence University, Colgate University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Vassar College. The consortium, called ConnectNY, allows the institutions to share library holdings, making the collections of all five readily available to students, faculty, and staff.

Statistics for the first six months of use show Rensselaer to be the biggest net borrower as compared to the other four institutions, says Research Libraries Director Loretta Ebert. "Our access to more than 2 million unique titles [through the ConnectNY project] clearly increases our own holdings by a factor of three or four."

In addition to vastly increasing the number of offerings available to library users, the new system speeds delivery of volumes from participating institutions. Library users may borrow materials from ConnectNY libraries by requesting them online, and items are then delivered to their own library for pickup, usually within 48 hours.

The ConnectNY union catalog and statewide delivery system became available in March 2002. With the assistance of the grant from the Mellon Foundation, ConnectNY will now undertake a series of comprehensive discussions including governance, long-term financial sustainability, technical viability, and membership growth. Members of the consortium will work with consultants and institutions that use similar arrangements in forming the plans.

Contact: Jodi Ackerman
Phone: (518) 276-6531
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