Central Massachusetts Regional Library System

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Central Massachusetts Regional Library System was a multitype library system serving 244 academic, public, school and special libraries in 72 central Massachusetts communities. It was one of six Massachusetts Regional Library Systems. [1] Collectively, CMRLS libraries [2] serve 924,491 people who live, work or study in Central Massachusetts. Founded in 1963, the library system began as a unit within the City of Worcester, Massachusetts municipal government and served public libraries exclusively. In 1997 it became a multitype, independent non-profit organization working with all types of libraries. Nearly all services were provided free of charge, with major funding through a contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. [3] Due to the collapse of state funding, it was merged along with four other Massachusetts Regional Library Systems into the Massachusetts Library System on July 1, 2010.

Academic library library of an academic institute

An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum, and to support the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic libraries there are worldwide. An academic and research portal maintained by UNESCO links to 3,785 libraries. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an estimated 3,700 academic libraries in the United States. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. In the period before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Modern academic libraries generally also provide access to electronic resources.

Public library Library that is accessible by the public

A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants.

School library library within a school

A school library is a library within a school where students, staff, and often, parents of a public or private school have access to a variety of resources. The goal of the school library media center is to ensure that all members of the school community have equitable access "to books and reading, to information, and to information technology." A school library media center "uses all types of media... is automated, and utilizes the Internet [as well as books] for information gathering." School libraries are distinct from public libraries because they serve as "learner-oriented laboratories which support, extend, and individualize the school's curriculum... A school library serves as the center and coordinating agency for all material used in the school."

Contents

Purpose

The Central Massachusetts Regional Library System promoted and supported resource sharing, professional development, collaboration, and innovation among all types of libraries in Central Massachusetts. Its services strengthened member libraries and staff, creating a collaborative network that is essential to a high quality and accessible continuum of library services for those who live, work, or study in the region.

Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative stage. There are a variety of approaches to professional development, including consultation, coaching, communities of practice, lesson study, mentoring, reflective supervision and technical assistance.

Innovation in its modern meaning is a "new idea, creative thoughts, new imaginations in form of device or method". Innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs. Such innovation takes place through the provision of more-effective products, processes, services, technologies, or business models that are made available to markets, governments and society. An innovation is something original and more effective and, as a consequence, new, that "breaks into" the market or society. Innovation is related to, but not the same as, invention, as innovation is more apt to involve the practical implementation of an invention to make a meaningful impact in the market or society, and not all innovations require an invention. Innovation often manifests itself via the engineering process, when the problem being solved is of a technical or scientific nature. The opposite of innovation is exnovation.

Public libraries typically receive less than 2% of municipal funding. Academic libraries fare better, but school libraries much worse. The Central Massachusetts Regional Library System helped libraries to use their resources more effectively and serve their clientele better than they could alone. Its vision was to "create synergy among libraries to enrich the quality of life in Central Massachusetts."

Its capacity building and system development activities were grouped into three categories: resource sharing and collection support; reference services and support; staff and program development.

Capacity building Process by which individual and organizations obtain, improve, and retain the skills and knowledge needed to do their jobs competently

Capacity building is the process by which individuals and organizations obtain, improve, and retain the skills, knowledge, tools, equipment and other resources needed to do their jobs competently or to a greater capacity. Capacity building and capacity development are often used interchangeably.

In addition, the library system also ran a temporary staffing service called BiblioTemps, [4] which was suspended in May 2010 and restored by its successor, the Massachusetts Library System, in 2012.

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References

  1. ↑ Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners [ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ Central Massachusetts Regional Library System Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
  4. ↑
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