The Library System of Lancaster County (LSLC) is a federated system, which serves 519,462 residents in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is made up of a consortia of 14 member libraries, two branches and a bookmobile. LSLC was established in April 1987 to provide well-coordinated, countywide services and cooperative programs to assist member libraries in meeting the diverse needs of its residents. The LSLC support and centralized services include (public Internet access, a shared

online public access catalog The online public access catalog (OPAC), now frequently synonymous with ''library catalog'', is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries. Online catalogs have largely replaced the analog card catalogs previously u ...

(OPAC) system, subscription to database- and online homework-help research services, consulting services, continuing education training in internal library operations (including budgeting and accounting), governance, business-information services, youth services, public relations, assistance with countywide programs and services, technology support (including WANs –

wide area network A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits. Businesses, as well as schools and government entities, u ...

s – and LANs with servers for managing telecommunications), web hosting, email, calendars, the

catalog Catalog or catalogue may refer to: *Cataloging **'emmy on the 'og **in science and technology ***Library catalog, a catalog of books and other media ****Union catalog, a combined library catalog describing the collections of a number of libraries ...

, circulation, headquarters and library PCs and peripherals, training and security. The system also provides services for ordering,

cataloging In library and information science, cataloging ( US) or cataloguing ( UK) is the process of creating metadata representing information resources, such as books, sound recordings, moving images, etc. Cataloging provides information such as auth ...

and processing library materials with collection development, collective purchasing, managing catalog

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases s ...

s, negotiating vendor discounts, and outreach services to special populations through the bookmobile and collection development.

Purpose

The purpose of the system is to bring together its 14-member public libraries to plan and create a cost-effective network of technology, facilities and resources to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of the residents of Lancaster County. The Library System ensures that a network of support services is provided to member libraries.

Recent activity (as of 2011)

In the first decade of the 21st century, the Lancaster County libraries saw more than a doubling in the number of county residents using libraries; 251,348 county residents had library cards. In the same ten-year period, circulation increased by 90%; 3,495,399 items were checked out. The system's online catalog had over 913,006 library holdings shared throughout the county. A large number of virtual visitors accessed the online catalog and databases through the library system website. Over 340,335 sessions, logins or visits to LSLC databases were made annually; most of those searches were accessed remotely from home, business, school or work. The LSLC also delivers services via a bookmobile. It provides countywide service in the form of over 800 stops per year in primarily low- and moderate-income areas of the county, with special focus on children and older adults. The bookmobile outreach effort includes providing services to traditionally underserved groups (such as the

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) and outreach at the Youth Intervention Center. As an agent of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Lancaster County, the system promotes the improvement of member library services by providing countywide planning, policy development, centralized support services and access to core resources.2010 LSLC budget request (final budget was modified)
Retrieved 2011-05-10.

Member libraries

*Adamstown Area Library (serving Adamstown, Brecknock, Denver, East Cocalico and West Cocalico) *Columbia Public Library *Eastern Lancaster County Library (serving New Holland) *Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown Public Library *Ephrata Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Ephrata Public Library *Lancaster Public Library (branches at Duke Street (Lancaster City) and Mountville, Pennsylvania, Mountville)
Lititz Public Library
*Manheim, Pennsylvania, Manheim Community Library *Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Manheim Township Public Library *Milanof-Schock Library (serving Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Mount Joy and Marietta, Pennsylvania, Marietta Boroughs and the townships of East Donegal, Mount Joy and Rapho) *Moores Memorial Library (serving Christiana, Pennsylvania, Christiana and surrounding areas) *Intercourse Library (Intercourse, Pennsylvania, Intercourse and Gap, Pennsylvania, Gap branches) *Quarryville Library *Strasburg, Pennsylvania, Strasburg-Heisler Library *Shut's Environmental Library (in Lancaster County's Central Park) Each member library has a website accessible through the system's website.

Bookmobile

The bookmobile makes regular stops at 80 locations in Lancaster County. Stops include senior-citizen centers, assisted-living centers, preschools, after-school programs, rural areas and urban neighborhoods. The bookmobile offers thousands of books (including large print and audiobooks) and DVDs. It has a wheelchair lift for accessibility. The bookmobile brings library services to people who have trouble getting them otherwise, with the highest priority to low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and organizations; low- and moderate-income individuals and families; senior citizens; children and rural areas.

References

External links

Library System of Lancaster CountyBookmobile websiteNational Center for Education StatisticsInstitute of Museum and Library ServicesPennsylvania Library AssociationAmerican Library Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Library System Of Lancaster County County library systems in Pennsylvania Education in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania