SHELBY — Marvin Memorial Library is expanding and increasing its catalog by millions.
According to a press release from the State Library of Ohio, Marvin Memorial Library recently became the 100th consortium member of the Serving Every Ohioan Service Center.
Vikki Morrow-Ritchie, director of the Shelby library, said Marvin Memorial was previously part of a 14-member consortium before joining SEO.
“We’re able to get material from all over the state now,” she said.
The consortium “encompasses a vast collaborative group of libraries” which share their resources “within one catalog, enabling each library to benefit more than any single library could on its own.”
Based in Caldwell, the SEO Service Center is a division of the State Library of Ohio.
Its staff and technology support a consortium of now 100 library systems, providing services at 286 different locations throughout 51 counties in Ohio via the OPLIN network.
“While the addition of Marvin Memorial Library as the 100th member of the SEO Library Consortium is a landmark moment, it’s essential to recognize that the strength of this consortium lies in the collective contributions of each and every member,” said John Stewart, SEO director of technology and operations.
“Each library, whether the first or the hundredth, plays a critical role in enriching the shared resources, expanding access, and enhancing the services available to communities across Ohio. Together, we achieve more, ensuring all Ohioans benefit from a robust, interconnected library system.”
SEO Service Center provides extensive support
The SEO Service Center manages a centralized catalog database shared by the consortium — which boasts over 8.1 million items, according to the press release.
This extensive collection is available to nearly one million users, contributing to an annual circulation of more than 15 million items. SEO provides extensive support to its member libraries.
It handles technical and software needs, offers library policy-related services and manages integrations with third-party vendors.
Morrow-Ritchie said there’s even a full-featured mobile app.
“People can, through the app, can walk into say a Walmart, see a book on a display that’s for sale that they want, scan the ISBN and it will tell them the closest SEO library where they can pick it up for free,” she said. “It’s awesome.”
The consortium has agreements in place that will expand membership to 104 library systems across 52 counties, with over 290 service points by June 2025.
“I applaud the efforts of the SEO Service Center team members and the staff of the Marvin Memorial Library to expand access to resources for local library users through the SEO Library Consortium,” said Beverly Cain, interim state librarian.
“A project like this required a true partnership between the two organizations, and I look forward to watching this already strong partnership continue to grow to provide even greater benefits for the community.”
Worldwide access
Marvin Memorial Library is also part of WorldShare, Morrow-Ritchie said.
According to its website, WorldShare is a “modern, cloud-based service” — which “automates borrowing and lending processes through OCLC’s resource sharing network of 10,000-plus libraries, the largest in the world.”
“It’s a catalog that has libraries all over the world that we can get material from. It is super cool,” she said.
