SWAN Board,

I thought you might want to see the email written by the Batavia Public Library Director George Scheetz and sent to his library staff.

Aaron Skog
Executive Director
aaron@swanlibraries.net • (630)734-5122

SWAN Library Services
125 Tower Drive, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
swanlibraries.net • catalog.swanlibraries.net

From: George H. Scheetz [mailto:gscheetz@bataviapubliclibrary.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 3:58 PM
Subject: SWAN

Hi Folks…

At its regular meeting yesterday evening, the Board of Library Trustees authorized the Batavia Public Library to join SWAN as a member library.

In particular, the Board adopted “An Ordinance Providing for the Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement Authorizing Membership in the System Wide Automated Network (SWAN)” (Ordinance 2016–007), which, in effect, approved an “Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the System Wide Automated Network (‘SWAN’) and Authorizing Membership in SWAN.”

The SWAN Board will take action to accept Batavia’s membership—and the membership of the other LINC member libraries—in early 2017. As noted previously, the proposed merger of LINC with SWAN (System Wide Automated Network) will culminate in the dissolution of LINC in 2018.

I recommended (to the Board) approval of the Intergovernmental Agreement with SWAN for the following reasons:—

· LINC is no longer sustainable and will dissolve in mid-2018, regardless of any action taken by Batavia.

· In the absence of LINC, Batavia has two options: (1) stand alone, which is not a fiscally viable option, or (2) join another consortium.

· SWAN is the best and most practical option for Batavia, for reasons of geography, support services, and cost. (Batavia’s costs will decrease as a result of a migration to SWAN.)

· SWAN is an LLSAP  and receives a variety of grants from the Illinois State Library (via RAILS). LINC is not an LLSAP and thus is not eligible for Illinois State Library grants.

· LINC is applying (on behalf of its member libraries) for membership grants from SWAN to cover the shared costs of migration, such as migration fees assessed by SirsiDynix.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Batavia’s patrons will have access to over 10.5 million items in nearly 100 libraries.

Best regards,

George

P.S. Supplementary Information:—

· The “system” in System Wide Automated Network was originally the Suburban Library System, which (in 2004) merged with the Chicago Library System to form the Metropolitan Library System. In 2011, the Metropolitan Library System merged with four other systems to form the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS).

· The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) was formed in 2011 through the merger of the Alliance Library System (ALS), the DuPage Library System (DLS), the Metropolitan Library System (MLS), the North Suburban Library System (NSLS), and the Prairie Area Library System (PALS).

· Each system operated its own LLSAP (Local Library System Automation Program)—or integrated library system (ILS)—which were (and still are) eligible for grants from the Illinois State Library. Nearly 25 years ago, Batavia and several other public libraries left MAGIC (Multitype Automation Group in Cooperation), the LLSAP operated by the DuPage Library System, to form LINC (Library Integrated Network Consortium), which was organized on 26 November 1991.

· SWAN is an LLSAP and receives a variety of grants from the Illinois State Library (via RAILS). LINC is not an LLSAP and thus is not eligible for Illinois State Library grants.

"You must do what you think you cannot do. "—Eleanor Roosevelt

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George H. Scheetz
Director
Batavia Public Library District