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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="SearchOhio logo
" href="https://searchohio.org/searchohio/" style='position:absolute;margin-left:-393.2pt;margin-top:-4.65pt;width:142.45pt;height:94.05pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin' o:button="t">
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01DCBAC6.16907890" o:title="SearchOhio logo
" />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><a href="https://searchohio.org/searchohio/"><img border="0" width="190" height="125" style="width:1.9791in;height:1.302in" src="cid:image004.png@01DCBAC8.6FBD6160" align="right" hspace="12" alt="SearchOhio logo
" title="" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"></a><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">The
State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce that it will assume administration of
<a href="https://searchohio.org/searchohio/">SearchOhio</a>, an interlibrary loan partnership. The State Library and the Westerville Public Library are collaborating closely on the transition, with full administrative responsibilities expected to shift to the
State Library by January 2027. SearchOhio is unique among Ohio’s library consortia in its facilitation of statewide sharing among both public libraries and academic libraries participating in OhioLINK. A transition to the State Library positions SearchOhio
for continued growth and long‑term sustainability. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">SearchOhio is a statewide consortium of 49 public libraries that share collections to maximize resources and broaden access for patrons. The consortium provides access to more than 18
million items, which is nearly half of all physical materials held by Ohio’s public libraries and supports approximately 750,000 loan transactions each year. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">“The State Library’s transition into the administrative lead for SearchOhio, an important resource sharing initiative, marks an important moment for libraries across the state,” responded
State Library Board President Drew Wichterman. “By taking on this role, the State Library is helping ensure long term stability, strong coordination, and a unified vision for how we share materials and services.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">The State Library brings extensive experience managing statewide library programs. Its leadership history includes serving as a founding member of OhioLINK, as well as creating and administering
the Serving Every Ohioan (SEO) Consortium, the Ohio Digital Library, and the Statewide Delivery System. In addition, State Librarian Mandy Knapp previously served as Branch Manager at the Uptown Branch of the Westerville Public Library, where she supervised
the SearchOhio Coordinator. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">“We are extremely thankful for the vision of former Executive Director Don Barlow to seek partnerships with OhioLINK in 2005 and then with the county libraries of Cuyahoga, Toledo-Lucas,
Youngstown-Mahoning, and Warren-Trumbull in 2006 to expand our patrons’ access to Ohio’s robust collections,” shared Erin Francoeur, Executive Director of the Westerville Public Library. “These partnerships established a cost-efficient and convenient way for
our patrons to borrow items that has continued for the past 20 years.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">For library patrons, the value of SearchOhio is personal and profound. One patron shared, “I’ve been able to borrow materials from multiple Ohio libraries in languages that are difficult
to obtain or prohibitively expensive. I certainly wouldn’t have become so familiar with certain authors if it hadn’t been for the library, and I’m profoundly grateful.” Another noted, “Fantastic service! All the way from Toledo in only four or five days!” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans 3",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="268" height="80" style="width:2.7916in;height:.8333in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.png@01DCBAC6.16907890" alt="A picture containing text
Description automatically generated"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E3F75">Marsha McDevitt-Stredney<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#5A5A5A">Director, Marketing & Communications<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#5A5A5A">State Library of Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#5A5A5A">274 E. 1<sup>st</sup> Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#5A5A5A">Columbus, OH 43201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#5A5A5A">Tel: 614.644.6875<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"><a href="mailto:marshams@library.ohio.gov"><span style="color:#0070C0">marshams@library.ohio.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"><a href="https://library.ohio.gov/"><span style="color:#0070C0">library.ohio.gov</span></a><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
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