The Prospector Library System has just been expanded to include five libraries from the PLUS Network, forming a 23-member library consortium that now includes almost all of the major academic and public libraries in Colorado and in the near future, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Wyoming. The PLUS libraries added to Prospector are Arapahoe Public Library District, Aurora Public Library, Boulder Public Library, Louisville Public Library and Broomfield Public Library.

Prospector is a six-year old initiative of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. Prospector now annually circulates nearly 150,000 books, journals, sound recordings, DVD's, videotapes and other materials held by participating libraries.  Borrowing and lending will dramatically rise with the addition of the new libraries.  This material is easily found through a user-friendly computer system, ordered by the user at the click of the key and delivered typically in less than three days. Adding these five libraries will substantially increase the amount of material available to the library borrower.

James Williams, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries and Dean of Libraries at the University of Colorado in Boulder stated that, “Prospector is a perfect example of how cooperation can work for the public good, especially important in these days of constrained budgets. Library service is no longer limited by location. Anyone in good standing among participating libraries has an amazing array of educational, informational and recreational resources available at the click of a computer key.”

The Prospector Library System offers a library customer, student, teacher, faculty member or researcher instant access to over six million unique titles.  Prospector electronically merges the 23 library catalogs into a single database, permitting the user to search all of the major library resources in Colorado by subject, title, author or keyword and easily place an order for material that will be quickly delivered.

The Prospector libraries consist of eight large public libraries, including The Denver Public Library, twelve public academic colleges and universities, including the University of Colorado, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado, and three private institutions, Denver University, Regis University and Colorado College.

Rick Ashton, City Librarian of the Denver Public Library stated that, “I am pleased that the major public libraries in the Denver metropolitan area are now electronically linked. Even in the best of financial times, no single library can afford to acquire all the resources that our customers request. But Prospector, with its shared collections and rapid document delivery, is a powerful way to mitigate the impact of our budget limitations.”

Bill Knott, Director of the Jefferson County Public Library and previous host to the PLUS network agreed with Ashton. “ Adding the PLUS libraries to Prospector will significantly improve regional library service. Combining Plus and Prospector will raise already high public acceptance to a new level.”

Prospector began in 1998 with a technology learning grant from the State of Colorado.  Since then, the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries, the organization responsible for managing the System, has contributed significant funding above the grant amount and extensive staff time. Participating libraries contribute to System operations by sharing annual maintenance costs and contributing staff time.

Prospector is unique in several ways, its diversity of participating libraries, in being a union catalog of three different brands of automated library systems and in being one of only two multi-state systems.

Arapahoe Library District is a public library system serving more than 200,000 residents living in Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County and other major suburban counties make up the greater metropolitan area surrounding Denver, Colorado.  The Arapahoe Library District operates a main library, seven branch libraries, an Outreach Service that provides mobile library services, and a library at the County Detention Center, funded by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department.  Arapahoe's 575,000-item collection includes books, government documents, newspapers from around the country, magazines, video tapes, audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs.  Arapahoe subscribes to over 30 online databases that may be accessed through their Website at http://www.arapahoelibraries.org/.

The Aurora Public Library (APL) has eight library facilities throughout the City of Aurora, which is located east of Denver. APL's 500,000-item collection includes books, government documents, newspapers, magazines, video tapes, audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs. APL subscribes to 75 online reference databases, which are available to APL customers through its Website at http://www.auroralibrary.org.  The library serves a population of 290,000, making Aurora Colorado's third largest city.

Boulder Public Library serves Boulder County and its environs representing over 77,000 people through its main library and two circulating branches.  Its collection has over 430,000 items including books, government documents, newspapers, magazines, video tapes, audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs.  In addition, Boulder Public features an extensive collection of over 200,000 historical photographs and they have subscriptions to over 35 online databases that may be found on their Website at http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/.

The Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library serves a population of over 46,000 in Broomfield though its central library.  Its collection has over 180,000 items and has subscriptions to 38 online databases that may be found on their Website at http://www.ci.broomfield.co.us/library/.

The City of Louisville Public Library serves a population of approximately 19,000 residents from Louisville, Superior, Lafayette, Erie and sections of unincorporated Boulder County.  The City, incorporated in 1882, lies in Boulder County roughly six miles east of the City of Boulder and 25 miles northwest of Denver.  Its collection has over 68,000 items and they have subscriptions to over 25 online databases that may be found on their Website at http://www.ci.louisville.co.us/library/.