MeLCat, Michigan’s statewide resource-sharing system, is seven years old today! Happy Birthday, MeLCat!

Over the past seven years, MeLCat has grown to include 415 libraries of all sizes and types – academic, public, school, and special – that reach urban and rural communities across Michigan. During that time, MeLCat has received 4,389,407 requests and has filled 3,920,732 loans, all at no cost to the Michigan library patron.

In 2011, Michigan residents placed over one million MeLCat requests for the second year in a row! By the end of December 2011, MeLCat had received 1,076,681 requests and had filled 964,410 loans, achieving an impressive fill rate of 89.57% for the year.

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.

The MeL 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.