MEMBER OPINIONS: Melanie Emerson (Detroit Institute of Arts)

[May 14, 2003]
While looking through the DALNET notes from the past several years, we here in the DALNET offices have found several items, that we've complied into our "Member Wish List" binder that now lives on the desk of DALNET Secretary, Elaine Hendriks. One of the items on that list was a place for the staff at member institutions to be able to voice their opinions based on the daily work they do with DALNET. Thus the idea of an interview that will be posted in the DALNET News portion of our website was born.

We are grateful to Melanie Emerson of the Detroit Institute of Arts for agreeing to be our first person interviewed, and here are the results:

What's the best part of participating in DALNET?
The best part of DALNET is the cooperative spirit that allows members to work productively with one another. Members and staff alike always have wonderful insight and perspective that can be a great benefit to the consortium as a whole, in addition to individual institutions. DALNET fosters the types of working relationships that encourage the sharing and proliferation of ideas. It is always good to know that there are others, which you as a DALNET member, can turn to for advice and assistance on many given projects.

What has DALNET done for you?
As a new member to both DALNET and the library and information profession, DALNET has given me the chance to grow professionally. I've been encouraged to participate in a number of projects, workshops, and training sessions that have given me the opportunity to learn about my profession, and more specifically, the technical side of library services. I feel that my experience participating in DALNET will always be a great asset to me professionally.

DALNET has also provided the DIA with server space and has maintained our OPAC as long as we have been a member of DALNET. We do not have the resources, nor the staff on site to manage such a task, in this instance DALNET has been invaluable to the DIA.

One of our most recent accomplishments is the migration to Horizon 7.21 and our iPac. The DIA was the first DALNET institution to migrate and it could not have been done with out the help of DALNET staff. George Marck was there every step of the way, and I do appreciate his quick response to all my questions and concerns. I would also like to thank Jackie Wrosch as well as the DIA's web department, particularly Curtis Skewes, for all of their help creating the new pages for the iPac. They look wonderful and it couldn't have been done without you!

What else would you like DALNET to do for you in the future?
As for the future of DALNET, I think is important to continue to work together to develop more content driven projects such as digitization and building digital collections, a shared union catalogue, and more community based projects such as the Health Calendar. DALNET does not have to be centered around an ILS, instead it can be shared ideas and goals that hold us together, as well as expand our role as a consortium.

We'd like to thank Melanie for her input. If you are interested in being interviewed, please e-mail Steven Bowers at sbowers@wayne.edu

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