Mission:

The Valley Library Consortium is a Michigan private non-profit corporation. The mission of the VLC is to provide the greater Saginaw Valley Community with access to shared library and information resources through quality,cost-effective automated services for member libraries.

History:

The Valley Library Consortium was formed as a non-profit corporation in 1980 by Delta College, Saginaw Valley State College, and the Public Libraries of Saginaw to automate library circulation using a CLSI LIBS 100 system. The system served the members well for a number of years, but by the mid-1980's it became evident that a replacement system was needed. At the same time the members decided to pursue expanding the membership.

Over the years, with the SirsiDynix software, the Consortium has added a number of features and services that were not part of the original configuration that consisted of cataloging, public access, community resources and circulation. Some of the newer services include: serials management, acquisitions, and remote patron authentication. The VLC is also the Internet service provider for its members that are directly connected with leased data circuits. In 1995 the VLC began providing on-going authority control work for the shared bibliographic database. In recent years, with the development of the Mel (Michigan elibrary) program, the VLC has worked to provide direct access for members’ patrons to databases from inside the library and from home or office.