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Southern Maryland Regional Library Association,
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Information ServicesThe Southern Maryland Regional Library is a
center for the delivery of information in
Southern Maryland, providing leadership in
automation and operating the tri-county
circulation and on-line catalog system.
This system, known as
COSMOS
(Collections of
Southern Maryland’s On-Line System) provides
access to materials located in ten public
libraries and the regional library. Some of the
other free electronic services provided by the
regional library include:
Information services staff provide technical
support and maintain high speed internet access
and email accounts for partner library systems
in the region.
Since electronic access to information is
rapidly changing library services, regional
library staff are continually investigating
technological advances that could further
improve services to Southern Maryland.
Delivery of InformationThe regional library operates a daily delivery
service which transports materials between all
the public library agencies and the two colleges
in the area.
The regional library also functions as the
access point for delivery of materials from the
State Library Resource Center in Baltimore and
electronic information through Sailor and other
networks.
TrainingThe regional library provides training for the
staff of partner libraries in our
state-of-the-art training facilities. Training
is available in reference services, electronic
reference, collection development, technology,
youth services, management supervision,
leadership, customer service, marketing and many
other areas. An expanding number of e-learning
opportunities are also available.
Ongoing surveys of staff and library
administrators help direct training programs to
continue to meet customer needs.
The regional library also provides an
orientation for all new library staff and
trustees.
Interlibrary LoanThe regional library provides a center for
interlibrary loan within the region. Customers
seeking materials unavailable at their local
libraries may request books, periodicals and
information through this service.
Customers also can return borrowed materials to
any of the ten public library branches in the
region, no matter where the materials
originated.
The regional library participates in MARINA, the
state’s interlibrary loan system. Regional
library staff work closely with county library
personnel to make this system available directly
to customers.
Technical ServicesIn 2009, more than 73,000 library items were
bought by the Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s
County library systems. Each of those
acquisitions had to go through the technical
services department of the regional library for
complete processing and original cataloging.
Though library materials are selected and
ordered by the individual county libraries, they
must then be delivered to the regional library
by various vendors to be cataloged and prepared
for placement on library shelves. Newly
processed materials are then shipped to each
branch library via the delivery system run by
the regional library.
Technical services staff members are responsible
for maintaining the professional processing
standards and the general upkeep of the online
catalog. They also maintain the Maryland
government documents collection and other
special collections which are housed at the
regional library.
MarketingThe regional library provides marketing support
to our partner county libraries to help promote
library services and coordinate region-wide
programs. The marketing coordinator develops
marketing plans and the necessary tools to
implement those plans at the branch, county and
regional level.
The marketing coordinator also represents
regional libraries as needed at community events
and other programs; providing displays,
brochures, flyers and promotional materials.
The regional library also provides an online
communications presence for partner libraries
through an internal Website available to all
library staff throughout the region.
Publications
2009 Annual Report
AdvocacyThe regional library provides leadership and
direction for public library efforts by
developing relationships and building political
partners within the region and the state.
The director of the regional library serves on a
broad variety of boards and committees, making
sure the interests of public libraries are known
and understood by those in public service whose
decisions impact the public library and their
customers.
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Southern Maryland Regional
Library Association
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P.O. Box 459
Charlotte Hall, MD
20622 |
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301.934.9442 or 301-884-0436 |
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