MeL Catalog Steering Committee is pleased to announce the vendors selected to demonstrate their proposals for a statewide portal, centralized union catalog and resource-sharing system for Michigan’s libraries. Ten proposals from nine vendors were officially opened at the Library of Michigan on Aug. 8. Committee members then reviewed the proposals in detail to identify those that best meet our needs and priorities to get the resource-sharing system under way for all types of libraries beginning in 2004.

The finalists are Dynix, with its proposal of Information Portal, Horizon union catalog and URSA resource-sharing system, and Innovative Interfaces, with its proposal of Millennium Access Plus portal and INN-Reach union catalog and direct consortial borrowing system.

"It was an incredible job to review the extensive and creative proposals we received," said Randy Dykhuis, Executive Director of the Michigan Library Consortium and administrator for the MeL Catalog Project. "We truly appreciate the hard work done by all those who responded to our RFP. We know that our project to create a statewide resource-sharing system that links libraries of all sizes and types presents many challenges. It is exciting that these vendors are eager to work with us to make our dream a reality."

As part of the two-day meeting with the vendors, each will do a half-day demonstration that will be open to anyone from a Michigan library. The demonstrations will be held at the Michigan Library Consortium in Lansing. The public demonstrations are: Dynix, Sept. 9, 9 a.m.-noon, and Innovative Interfaces, Sept. 16, 9 a.m.-noon. Space is limited, so registration is required.

Updated 01/09/2006