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Statement Regarding Criteria for Participation
MINITEX Policy Advisory Council to Minnesota Office of Higher Education: Statement Regarding
Criteria for Participation in the MINITEX Library Information Network
As the Internet, library and information technologies, and collaborations like MnLINK make more and
more information available to library users, their information demands will increase in number and
sophistication. Today's libraries and their staffs are expected to meet these demands, shifting resources
and developing expertise to adjust to the changing landscape of user demand. Librarians must be able to
help users find what is available, answer questions, appraise technologies, evaluate sources (including
resources provided for all Minnesotans through state appropriations), and meet users' expectations for
materials regardless of format and in any location within the state.
Investments by the State of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Libraries have created significant
collections and innovative services that benefit the state and region through cooperative library networks.
The MINITEX Library Information Network provides the infrastructure to maximize the use of resources of the
University of Minnesota Libraries and other libraries throughout the state and region and the distribution
of these resources between and among participating libraries. In supporting MINITEX, the State and MINITEX
Policy Advisory Council affirm that Minnesota's libraries work cooperatively to serve the information needs
of Minnesotans, and there is an expectation that each library will contribute to the resource sharing
enterprise in some way.
The Legislative intent for funding the resource sharing services of the MINITEX Library Information Network
was to enable Minnesota libraries to share their collections to support students, faculty, and other users
of libraries of Minnesota higher education institutions and state government.
In addition to funding for resource sharing, the Minnesota Legislature has also provided appropriations to
the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for MINITEX to support additional services that include but are not
limited to 1) development, management, and training related to the Electronic Library for Minnesota, MnLINK,
and the Minnesota Library Access Center programs; 2) providing cooperative purchasing including subsidies for
scholarly academic electronic resources; 3) serving as the network agency for OCLC services including
administrative support for Minnesota academic and state government libraries; and, most recently 4) support
for the Minnesota Digital Library. This suite of programs funded by the Legislature enhances and supports
resource sharing.
The MINITEX Library Information Network is made up of cooperating publicly and privately supported academic
libraries, public libraries, school media centers, and special libraries, such as those in teaching hospitals
and state government. Since no one library can be self sufficient, these libraries have joined together for
over 30 years to successfully develop and share their resources to benefit all of their customers.
The responsibility for providing excellent library services in this increasingly complex information environment
rests with local library staff and funding authorities. MINITEX participation is not to be viewed as a substitute
for local ownership of materials or provision of electronic resources required by a library's users. The provision
of quality service rests upon the decision making, knowledge, and experience of local librarians and library staff
and builds upon the physical and electronic collections and services they build and maintain. The benefit that
individual libraries derive from MINITEX participation depends upon the skill of local library staff to maximize
their local resources and a commitment to making the most of opportunities resulting from their libraries'
participation in MINITEX. Libraries also are responsible for supporting ongoing training and development of
staff to ensure that they keep current with emerging technologies, service demands, and opportunities provided
through State support.
Decisions regarding which resources should be available in the local library and which should be sought through
MINITEX, MnLINK, and other resource sharing partnerships must be made locally. However, in an age of
accountability, constrained resources, and calls for quality services for users, libraries need to ensure
equitable sharing of resources and responsibilities throughout the Network. The elements of the Principles and
the Criteria protect the integrity of the MINITEX Library Information Network as a whole. The goal is a
statewide network of participant libraries in which each library supports its users, contributes to their
development as information consumers, and contributes to the mutual services that comprise a resource sharing
network. Meeting the Criteria and sharing resources leverage the state's investment in library resources. Local
investment in programs (e.g., information literacy) to ensure effective use of available library resources and
MINITEX services is an important evidence of libraries' accountability to the state for taxpayer support that
they have received.
The members of the MINITEX Policy Advisory Council to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education believe it is most
important that all participating libraries strive to meet the Criteria for Participation in the MINITEX Library
Information Network and fulfill the roles and responsibilities of participating libraries.