Mississippi State is among a dozen Southern universities collectively creating the region's largest virtual electronic library.
MSU and 11 other members of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries are cooperating on a project that will enable more than 164,000 students and 14,000 faculty members--as well as the general public--to conduct computer searches of all 23.6 million volumes jointly held by the schools. A first for the association, the project is expected to be in place by October.
Stretching from North Carolina to the Magnolia State, the expanded collection will utilize the university Internet servers of Alabama at Birmingham, Kentucky, Tennessee-Knoxville, Vanderbilt, and Virginia Commonwealth. In addition to MSU, other schools in the new computer link include Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi, Tulane, South Carolina, and Wake Forest.
Established in 1956, ASERL has a current total membership of 35 libraries spread over a 12-state region. The largest regional library cooperative in the United States, it long has been a leader in creating innovative programs to better serve its patrons.
