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February 27, 2025
LANSING – The Michigan eLibrary Catalog (MeLCat,) the statewide shared catalog and inter-library loan component of the Michigan eLibrary, is celebrating 20 years of service to Michigan libraries and their communities in 2025 by asking Michigan residents to tell their stories connected with the service.
Growing from 12 member libraries in 2005, MeLCat now boasts over 435 libraries—public, school, academic and special—using different automation systems.
“MeLCat provides a great resource to libraries of all sizes and enables libraries to share their resources to better serve their patrons,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “Its expansion over the years, both in libraries and resources, is a testament to its value to Michiganders across the state.”
State Librarian Mr. Randy Riley joined Dr. Rice in recognizing MeLCat.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of MeLCat, we honor two decades of innovation, collaboration, and service to Michigan communities,” Riley said. “MeLCat has transformed the way residents access knowledge, connecting people to millions of resources from libraries across the state. This milestone reflects the dedication of libraries, large and small, and partners who have worked tirelessly to make information accessible to all. We are proud to celebrate this remarkable achievement and look forward to continuing to enable equitable access to information resources for all residents of Michigan, for generations to come.”
Since 2005, MeLCat has built a database with over 34 million holdings with an average request fill rate of over 90%.
Beginning in 2005, the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services has been an important partner in MeLCat's development, continuing support and training for member libraries.
“Supporting the MeLCat infrastructure that helps hundreds of libraries borrow and lend over 1 million items per year to provide people in their communities the materials they need for learning, growth, and recreation has been, and continues to be, a great privilege for the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services,” said Scott Garrison, Midwest Collaborative for Library Services executive director. “We so appreciate the opportunity to serve the Library of Michigan and the hundreds of Michigan libraries that participate in MeLCat.”
The goal of the Michigan eLibrary is to provide equitable access to a comprehensive array of high-quality information resources for Michigan residents. Using MeLCat as a discovery tool fosters collaboration among libraries and other organizations to enhance knowledge-sharing and ensure resources, including special, unique, or historical materials, are available to all, regardless of geographic or economic barriers.
The success of MeLCat is a testament to the enduring value and power of all types and sizes of libraries working together to build a service that benefits Michigan residents statewide. In honor of MeLCat’s 20th anniversary, the Library of Michigan is asking Michigan residents to share their MeLCat stories.
The Michigan eLibrary and its component, MeLCat is a service made possible by support from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan. Additional funding provided by the State of Michigan.
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The Library of Michigan is an agency within the Michigan Department of Education and is dedicated to providing the people of this state and their government one perpetual institution to collect, preserve, and provide access to the story of the state, and to support libraries in their role as essential community anchors. To learn more, visit www.Michigan.gov/LibraryofMichigan.
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