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Joining SOLAR

What is the purpose of SOLAR?

SOLAR makes visible the collections of libraries not utilizing an online system capable of being tied directly into the MaineCat Statewide Catalog for online requesting and lending of material.

Benefits of Joining

  • Part of Statewide Resource: Items added to SOLAR are automatically added to the MaineCat Statewide Catalog, making your library an active partner in statewide library resource sharing for the benefit of those who use and support your library.
  • Requesting: Local library staff have access to electronic interlibrary loan requesting across 110+ libraries, 8 million items in MaineCat. Interlibrary requests, both outgoing and incoming, are handled in easy-to-manage electronic form.
  • Load Balancing: The size and structure of MaineCat supports equitable distribution of requests among libraries statewide
  • Flexibility: Holdings may be updated in batch mode if you can periodically supply new data records, or interactively online using software supplied by the Maine InfoNet.
  • Record "Bank": Copies of MARC data records bearing your library's symbol may be extracted on request for use in a local system or other local library projects.

Library Responsibilities

Libraries participating in SOLAR are expected to:

Placing and Filling Requests

  • Fill incoming requests regularly, whenever the library is open, checking for and filling requests at least once a week.
  • Make non-circulating items available for in-house, walk-in use without charge.
  • Participate in the statewide delivery systems for at least one day a week.

Contributing Records

  • Regularly export a marc file of items to load into SOLAR twice a year for currency or catalog directly into the Solar Millennium software. See Contributing records.
  • Delete records for discarded and lost materials in a timely manner -- no less than 3 times a year.
  • Make available existing electronic records for loading into the database.
  • If records are not available initially for the entire collection, add records for the rest of the collection through interactive editing or other methods within 2 years of joining.

General

  • Sign and send to the Maine State Library the Agreement to Participate document.
  • Follow guidelines in use of SOLAR editing software.