The PEER Committee reviewed the Mississippi Library Commission's decision to postpone the implementation of the online Mississippi Union Catalog, a comprehensive, centralized database of library resources held in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Library Commission temporarily suspended implementation of its online Mississippi Union Catalog and Interlibrary Loan project in October 1997. The agency's newly hired Executive Director stopped the project to determine whether the online union catalog concept was the best alternative for the commission and Mississippi's public libraries. PEER received a complaint which focused on possible changes that could jeopardize small, rural libraries' capacity for full participation in statewide sharing of library resources.
Unknown to the complainant, the Executive Director resumed implementation of the original online project in December 1997 after determining that no feasible alternative existed. PEER found that the director exercised a reasonable management option to review the decision-making process and alternatives for the direction of the commission and local libraries. Also, the director's decision to continue implementation of the online system serves the interests of both the commission and the local libraries and should not jeopardize any library's full participation.
As of May 1, 1998, the contract vendor had phased out the old union catalog and interlibrary loan compact disc system and had placed all 238 public libraries on the online system. Although the vendor is currently addressing system problems, both the vendor and commission staff estimate completion of system implementation by August 1998. Once fully implemented, commission staff estimate local public libraries will save $39,500 annually over the previously used compact disc system.
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