NELINET to Join Lyrasis

According to an announcement from NELINET:

Atlanta, GA, and Southborough, MA, June 17, 2009 – Voting representatives of NELINET and Lyrasis overwhelmingly approved the resolution for NELINET to join Lyrasis with a “YES” vote of over 94%. Together, Lyrasis and NELINET will comprise the largest membership collaborative of its kind serving librarians and information professionals in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeastern United States. The expanded membership now includes libraries and cultural heritage institutions in 22 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“This new union with Lyrasis will provide NELINET members much greater educational and service opportunities, as well as control institutional costs for these benefits. I am very pleased with the great support the membership has shown for Lyrasis as the right choice for providing services to New England libraries into the future,” said W. Lee Hisle, Chair of the NELINET Board of Directors, and Vice President for Information Services and Librarian of the College at Connecticut College

Kate Nevins, Lyrasis Chief Executive Officer notes, “Though we will now serve members in more than a third of the U.S., we are most proud of our commitment to local touch. We are here to serve our members wherever they are and we stay connected to them through member visits, participation in state and local conferences, and through our support of programs in each state, each consortium, and with specialized communities.”

The combined resources, shared expertise, and improved operating efficiencies will result in:

• Rapid implementation of new programs
• Greater consortial savings opportunities
• Extended networking and collaboration among members
• Innovative technology solutions in areas including open source, digitization, and collection management
• An expanded education curriculum covering the latest topics with industry experts from both networks
  
  NELINET Executive Director Arnold Hirshon will be taking on a new role with Lyrasis as Chief Strategist and Principal Consultant, “I am so pleased that we can continue build upon the many years of NELINET’s success serving New England libraries by joining with Lyrasis. It is most gratifying to see the enthusiastic support of the NELINET membership to embrace the new Lyrasis vision so wholeheartedly. As we move forward, I am eager to help contribute to the success of Lyrasis in my new dual role in strategy development and the provision of consulting services for members.”
  
  Work has already begun to transition NELINET operations into Lyrasis and representatives from both organizations will keep members informed of progress and new initiatives during this transition period. Plans are for NELINET to be fully integrated into Lyrasis by Fall of 2009.