[nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any Massachusetts library

[cjhi newcastle2.com]

Gay — can you provide more detail on how to make statewide e-book access work for an individual user? The info I see on https://masslibsystem.org/ suggests that MLS membership is available only to libraries; https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6103.htm?tocpath=Home%7CGetting%20started%7C_____1 says "Your selection will vary based on your library, since each library chooses what titles and formats to offer in Libby."

/CHip
________________________________
From: reading-group <reading-group-bounces at lists.nesfa.org> on behalf of Gay Ellen Dennett <gayellendennett at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, November 29, 2024 12:15 PM
To: NESFA Reading Group <reading-group at lists.nesfa.org>
Cc: Rick Kovalcik <rick.kovalcik at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nesfa-reading-group] Davy by Pangborn NOT available in any Massachusetts library

I'm going to remind those who live in Massachusetts, that besides the Commonwealth Catalog (allowing anyone with a Mass library card to request physical materials from anywhere in the state) and that most libraries will also have the ability to place OCLC requests nationwide, the Mass Library System (MLS) also has a workaround for the publisher specific network contracts for ebooks. You have the ability to sign up for an account with any of the eight statewide Library Networks (CLAMS, Minuteman, CWMars, MBLN (Metro Boston Library Network), Sails, NOBLE, Old Colony, and MVLC (Merrimack Valley Library Consortium)) through Libby/Overdrive.  The MLS acts as an aggregator linking your searches for a title onto one record when it comes to checking out/requesting an item to borrow (and even tells you how long the wait is for an item in each network).  All that is required is a library card with a password already established when you applied for your card (you can retroactively in most networks get this added to your record yourself or by calling your library to request this). There are also some Libraries - New York City, for example and the BPL (Boston Public Library) that allow you to establish an electronic card to access their ebook collections.

--Gay Ellen Dennett (under my hat as Reference/Program Specialist - Needham Free Public Library, member of the Minuteman Library Network)

On Thu, Nov 28, 2024 at 6:31 PM <tracy at windweaver.com<mailto:tracy at windweaver.com>> wrote:

Thank you all for contributing to this discussion. Sorry, Wes, if I misunderstood, and thank you Rick for your post respecting concern for accessibility.

Maybe who ever nominates a book should make sure that there are at least a few copies available in THEIR local libraries or library systems.

When it was my turn to nominate books a month or so ago, I made a list of all my favorite sci fi and fantasy books and looked them up in the Minuteman Library Network. Out of about 21 books on my list, only FOUR were in our normally great library network (and if I remember correctly, some of those were out of print now).

Granted, my favorite fantasy books were all by women writers and included specific books by Moyra Caldecott, Sidney Van Scyoc (Darkchild!), Evangeline Walton, Louise Marley (music lovers: read her Singers of Nevya books!), Pamela Sargent and to some extent Sara Roethle (in addition to Ursula Le Guin and Patricia McKillip). And it occurs to me that most of those books were written in the very-male dominated days of science fiction when publishers and award organizations catered to stories and books written by men. So those books - some of which are exceptional - were not reprinted.

(Also, our dear library system - and I'm NOT being sarcastic here because we do have phenomonal library networks in the greater Boston area at least - in this very left-brain academic milieu does NOT favor fantasy books!)

Tracy Marks





On 2024-11-28 16:42, Rick Kovalcik wrote:
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