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Letter with Pledge Details for TexShare Member Libraries
Letter with Pledge Details for Genealogical Societies

Suggested Pledge Amounts for Retention of Statewide Access to HeritageQuest (Excel Document)
Pledge Form

Announcing the Pledge Drive Flyer (Word Document)
TexShare HeritageQuest General Information Flyer (Word Document)
TexShare STATERef! Mini-poster (pdf document - 221KB)
Link to Database Fees Information for FY2004 (July 1, 2004 - June 30th, 2005) Page

Please send questions, comments, and requests for more information to:
databases@tsl.state.tx.us or call at 512-463-7402.

PLEDGE DRIVE INFORMATION

As you know, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in partnership with the TexShare Advisory Board, the Electronic Information Working Group, and TexShare member libraries, have renewed most TexShare database subscriptions for the July 2004 – June 2005 subscription period.

However, even with the money collected from fees, the state budget will not stretch far enough to renew two databases: HeritageQuest andSTAT!Ref. We need your help to retain statewide access to these databases.

Genealogy is America’s number one hobby. For the genealogists that use your library for research access to Heritage Quest is vital. Heritage Quest provides electronic resources for genealogists with complete census indexing and remote access allowed for researching genealogy from home. STAT!Ref provides full text access to current medical textbooks. Interest in consumer health is growing and students in undergraduate and graduate medical programs find this resource vital for their education. Retaining statewide access to both databases allows your patrons the maximum opportunity to benefit from these valuable resources.

Consortia in other states have used a pledge drive approach successfully. To retain HeritageQuest, we must raise $243,000; STAT!Ref will cost $165,000.

Can your library, perhaps in conjunction with your local genealogical or historical society, local county medical associations, or faculty in social sciences or health sciences, make a pledge to help retain statewide access to HeritageQuest and STAT!Ref?

An Excel form with suggested pledge amounts to retain Heritage Quest is available for viewing. The pledge form can be printed out and mailed or faxed to the address and fax number below.

Please fill out and return the pledge form by May 1, 2004, so that these two comprehensive resources are not lost to Texans.

Please return this form by May 1, 2004 to:

Russlene Waukechon
Texas State Library
P.O.Box 12927
Austin, TX 78711-2927

OR FAX TO:

512-936-2306

Your library (or other community organization that may wish to pledge) will not be invoiced for your pledge amount unless we have received sufficient pledges to cover the cost of the database subscription. We must collect funds by July 2004.

If we do not raise enough money to renew these databases on a statewide basis, we will convert them to TexSelect databases. As TexSelect databases, your library could subscribe to either or both databases at consortium negotiated reduced prices, but statewide access for all TexShare members would be lost.

We can achieve the lowest possible price for a subscription to either database through a statewide consortial buying agreement. By participating in the pledge drive libraries will pay a lower price for access than what they would have to pay if they subscribed to the database as an individual institution. They will be helping maintain access to electronic resources for all Texans, which is one of the fundamental principles of TexShare, Texas’ largest library consortium.

Thank you for your support in providing these rich resources to your communities.