We are thrilled to announce that MeLCat, Michigan’s statewide resource-sharing system, received over one million requests in 2010, making MeLCat the first INN-Reach system to break a million requests in a single calendar year.  At the end of December 2010, MeLCat had received 1,049,653 requests and had filled 931,812 loans, achieving an impressive fill rate of 88.77% for the year.

Congratulations to MCLS MeLCat staff Debbi Schaubman, Anne Donohue, Jackie Licalzi, and Sue Alt, as well as former staff Louise Bugg and Kathy Cadwallader, for their hard work behind the scenes to make MeLCat the success it is today!   And, of course, none of this would be possible without the Library of Michigan staff and without the tireless efforts of the staffs of the MeLCat libraries who work on the front lines to deliver the loans to their eager borrowers – our thanks to all of you!  MeLCat is truly a collaborative effort across the board.

From its humble beginnings in 2005, MeLCat has grown to include 409 libraries of all sizes and types – academic, public, school, and special – that reach urban and rural communities across Michigan.  Over the past six years, MeLCat has received 3,312,727 requests and has filled 2,948,089 loans, all at no cost to the Michigan library patron. Resident cardholders of a MeLCat library can go online to the MeLCat system at any time of the day or night to place a request for a book or other item at the click of a mouse. In just a few days, the item will be delivered to their home library.

“MeLCat’s strength is that it is dedicated first and foremost to serving the library patron, “ said MCLS Executive Director, Randy Dykhuis. “I am very proud of our involvement with MeLCat and our role in making such an important service available to Michigan libraries and residents.”

MeLCat is funded as part of the statewide Michigan eLibrary (MeL) project of the Library of Michigan. The Library of Michigan contracts with MCLS and partners with a number of Michigan organizations and institutions to provide MeL services.  This project is made possible by grant funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan.