-36 Funding will be a problem. Libraries will have to recognize the benefits of membership. That such benefits can be realized is shown by the many cooperatives and networks that have retained members over long periods, including periods of decreasing local library funding. Four basic funding sources are: membership fees, Federal and State funds, and foundation grants and donations. All of these must be aggressively pursued. The total annual library expenditure in Indiana was estimated at $75,000,000. Theoretically, at least, INCOLSA could be funded reasonably well if each library allocated even one percent of its budget. The fallacy of this, over the short run, is that concerted action would be required by over 2,000 librarians and governing boards. Even so, for the near future, it may well be that major support must come from member libraries. It is always easier to spend someone else's money, but it makes it more difficult to obtain State and Federal funds, and foundation support, if library members aren't willing to provide basic funding. It should be incumbent on INCOLSA's management to operate within reasonable budgets and to avoid grandiose schemes and commitments. After allowing for an initial settling in period, library cooperatives should be judged like any other service. Are its products useful? Are real needs met? Is demand growing? Is clientele expanding? Adopting an entrepreneurial stance from INCOLSA's inception should do much to ensure success and longevity. Recognizing the need to allow Indiana libraries to accommodate INCOLSA into local budget cycles, the COBICIL project included a search for basic funds. A LSCA grant was obtained to allow initial funding should Indiana libraries express interest in establishing INCOLSA. This grant covers an initial three-year period for a modest program. -37 It is recommended that, soon after its establishment, INCOLSA management should: 1) Advise members and potential members of annual fees so these can be allowed for in budget planning, 2) Seek Federal and foundation funds for specific projects, and 3) Study means for seeking State funding for part of INCOLSA's operation. Initial operation rests on three basic components: a facility, a director, and members. Major factors for each component are discussed below. Criteria for locating the INCOLSA center were based on operational needs and long-range goals. These include: 1) Location convenient for visitors, e.g. nearby transportation, good access, and parking, 2) Ability to expand as program grows, 3) Lowest possible annual cost, 4) Access to low-cost meeting facilities, 5) Potential site for data processing equipment, 6) Reasonably equitable access for all members, and, 7) Convenient access to facilities, preferably on a 24-hour, 7-day basis, if required. Indianapolis is recommended as the most suitable setting. Its advantages include location at the center of the State, convenient travel for in-state and out-of-state visitors, proximity to the State Library and other State agencies, access to support services such as computer services, printers, business services, and conference facilities. The administration of library networks is a specialty for which none of our profession has been trained. The INCOLSA Director needs library skills and an ability to administer an organization that does not have a parent agency upon which to rely. -38 The Director's major tasks include research and development planning, representation of INCOLSA to other groups, communication with INCOLSA members, program administration, and continuing assessment of Indiana's library needs. Thus the Director will be of major importance in implementing INCOLSA and developing its initial programs. Among major qualifications are enthusiasm, ability to communicate effectively, working knowledge of libraries and data processing, interest in all types of libraries, and administrative ability. The tentative organization chart on page 39 shows the relationship of the Director to other INCOLSA organizational units. Potential INCOLSA Services Four major program areas were identified from Survey responses. These are: reference and bibliographic services, bibliographic control services, delivery services, and educational services. Reference: Respondents noted several desirable reference and bibliographic services. In order of preference these are: 1) Development of a union catalog to support 2) Bibliographies of: a) new titles to match local library in- b) subjects of high current interest, and 3) Information retrieval from machine-readable data bases in special subject areas. Types of bibliographies suggested included subject bibliographies, list of Indianaia, materials for juvenile readers, reference and bibliographic tools by ALSA area, listings and indexes of special collections, and various types of union lists. Bibliographic Control: Bibliographic control ser Reference & Bibliographical Services Materials Storage & Delivery Services Public Relations & Information INCOLSA STAFF Figure 3. Suggested Initial INCOLSA Organization -39 -40 vices of major interest were: information services to support technical processing, monograph cataloging services, and non-book processing services. The most desired cataloging products, in order of preference, were: full sets of catalog cards, book labels, lists of newly cataloged titles, special catalogs, and cross reference cards for names and subjects. Acquisition services of interest included: lists of new titles available for purchase, evaluation and materials selection advisory services, information to assist cooperative local purchasing to prevent unneeded duplication, and aid in identifying difficult citations. re Less interest was shown in services to support serials processing. Outside of union lists, the most desired serial services were subscription newal, alerting services for new serial titles, information about changes in serials, and depositories for infrequently used serials. Delivery Services: Proposed services for materials storage and delivery included interlibrary loan support, book services for films and other non-book materials, and storage programs such as last-copy depositories. Educational Programs: The need for continuing education and the lack of opportunities for such training was noted by many respondents. Areas of special need include: training in data processing concepts, information retrieval, interlibrary cooperation, and the MARC formats. Other potential areas are training in the new International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD), new technologies, and national programs of relevance to Indiana. A Plan of Action for INCOLSA A suggested schedule for INCOLSA implementation is |