Northland Library Cooperative About Northland

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Northland Library Cooperative (NLC)
Member Services
Mission Statement
Directions and Map to Northland
Northland's Web Site
LSTA Funding
Board of Trustees
Board & Council Meeting Schedules
Minutes
Northland Staff

Northland Library Cooperative (NLC)

The Northland Library Cooperative is a non-profit resource sharing network of public libraries in over 5000 square miles of eight counties in northern lower Michigan: Alcona, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle. Seventeen public libraries with 14 branches serve the 157,000 residents of this mostly rural area.

Northland began as a library system in late 1965 and included nine member libraries. The Northland Library System office officially opened on January 3, 1966 in Rogers City. In 1967 the headquarters moved to Alpena, and by 1968 the system included 19 member libraries. In 1977/8, the system became Northland Library Cooperative per Public Act 89 of 1977. The subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped was also established that year. At the time, the cooperative shared a building with Alpena County Library. In 1980, the Cooperative moved to 316 E. Chisholm St. in Alpena. In 2007, the Library for the Blind closed due to budgetary constraints. Its patrons are currently served out of Lansing. The cooperative "offices" have since gone virtual.

Directors of the library:

Member Services

Northland is one of 11 cooperatives funded by the State of Michigan to promote access to information for all citizens. Northland's major services include:

Northland Library Cooperative operates under a Plan of Service approved by its member libraries and Board of Trustees as well as the Library of Michigan. The Plan also includes the cooperative's Bylaws.

Northland Mission Statement

The Northland Library Cooperative is a group of public libraries in Northern Michigan who operate together in areas of common interest and benefit. The priorities of the Cooperative include:


Northland Headquarters

Northland is virtually headquartered in Charlevoix, Michigan.
Northland Library Cooperative
220 W. Clinton St.
Charlevoix, MI 49720
Phone: (231) 855-2206


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Northland Board of Trustees

2009/10 Trustees and their Representative Libraries:

Trustee Representing:
Val Meyerson, Vice-President Charlevoix Public Library
Judy Olsen, Treasurer Oscoda County Library
Barbara Steele Petoskey Public Library
Cindy Lou Poquette, President Indian River Area Library
Richard Wheelock Cheboygan Area Public Library
David Tacia Alcona County Library
Maureen Derenzy Otsego County Library
Sue Warner Wolverine Community Library
Eunice Teel, Secretary Topinabee Public LIbrary


Northland Board and Advisory Council Meeting Schedule

Meeting dates and locations are tentative and subject to change. Call Northland Library Cooperative to verify meeting dates, locations, and times.


DATE TIME LOCATION
October 29, 2009 10:30 am Cheboygan Area Public Library
December 17, 2009 10:30 am CANCELED
April 15, 2010 10:30 am Indian River Area Library
September 16, 2010 10:30 am Wolverine Community Library




Minutes

Minutes of the Northland Board of Trustees:


Minutes of the Northland Advisory Council:


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Northland's Web Site

Northland's web site is targeted to Northland member libraries and their users in our eight-county service area. We will select content based on its relevance to these user groups.

Collection focus for Northland's web topic areas:

Member Libraries - A comprehensive listing of member libraries, including links to their home pages.

Northland Services - A description of services available through Northland Library Cooperative.

Librarian's Links - This page is specifically geared to librarians, collecting resources of professional interest and utility.

Michigan's eLibrary (MeL) - An excellent resource with a particular focus on Michigan topics and libraries. This site is frequently updated and all additions are evaluated for quality and usefulness.

FirstSearch - Availability to this collection of 13 online databases is provided by the Michigan eLibrary project. Access is limited to users located within the state of Michigan. This link is for in-library use. Home users go to MeL to access this resource.

InfoTrac - This Access Michigan database offers full text articles. Access is limited to users located within the state of Michigan. This link is for in-library use. Home users go to MeL to access this resource.

Internet Search - Quick access to the Internet search tools we find most useful.

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Library Services and Technology Act Funding

While state funds support Northland's ongoing costs, many of the technology projects we have undertaken in recent years were made possible through federal Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) and, more recently, federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding: computers for every library, development of the regional catalog, library automation projects, Internet access, and Training Centers. This funding has been essential to developing quality library services for the citizens of our resource-poor rural area.

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Northland Staff

Northland staff can be reached by calling

1-231-855-2206

Or via e-mail

Director: Roger Mendel rmendel@northland.lib.mi.us
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© 2009, Northland Library Cooperative
Last updated December 15, 2009