[Michlib-l] Michigan Activity Pass/MAP (Revised/Expanded) Press Release

[Jim Flury]

All,

We have expanded/revised our Michigan Activity Pass (MAP) press release for what I believe you will agree is a very good reason: to accomodate the huge influx of new cultural venues that have signed on since March 25! The revised press release can be accessed here:

http://tln.lib.mi.us/map/Files/MAP%20Press%20Release%202014.pdf

New partners include a number of lighthouse museums on Lake Michigan, the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit. Only the list of partner venues has changed/expanded. The remainder of the press release remains the same.

To view the many choices your patrons will see when they access the www.michiganactivitypass.info site, try this sample search. 

1. My Start location: 48375 
2. Maximum miles from My Start Location: Instead of the default 50, click the radio button next to the blank box and enter 999.
3. My Library Name: Begin typing Novi Public Library, and the field will auto-fill with the name of that library.

When you click the black Search button you will see two things: A map of Michigan with a whole bunch of green balloons rising from it, and a list of 109 venues on the right. I believe you will agree that if Sonny Eliot (Google him if you are too young, or didn't grow up in or near Detroit) were evaluating this map, he would say that we have partner venues "up and down, to and fro, to say nothing of back and forth." We don't have any venues in Engadine, but make sure to pull your map down just a bit, not only to hide Toledo but more importantly to be able to see our two partners in the Keweenaw ear, which (unfortunately) won't squeak if you try to squeeze it. 

Please note that the number of partner venues obtained in the search results (109) doesn't match the number of partner venues (83) listed in the MAP press release. This on account not every MAP Year 1 (current) venue has signed up to renew for MAP Year 2. I suspect the vast majority of them will do so prior to the May 24 go-live, though. Any partner venue that for whatever reason chooses NOT to renew, will be removed from the MAP database effective May 24.

Also, if you click "Get Passes" for the new partner venues, such as Mill Race Historical Village, you will not see any passes listed. Passes for all new partner venues will be available beginning May 24, should patrons inquire about this. We wanted to add the new venues to the MAP database in advance of go-live, in order to give library patrons (and library staff) a "heads-up" as to what is coming.

My point here is, with partner venues in nearly every corner of the state--we are still MAP partner-challenged in the far southern and far western U.P., but I have a long-time librarian friend on the board of DCL who is working to help us out there :)--, each of Michigan's nearly 400 public libraries and roughly 650 individual public library buildings that are included in the MAP database can feel comfortable making the www.michiganactivitypass.info MAP link available on their website. Summer and warm weather are both just around the corner, and MAP will make a perfect promotional opportunity/activity for your library for our upcoming vacation season!

We appreciate your support for and promotion of, via your media outlets and patrons, the Michigan Activity Pass (MAP) program. 

Sincerely,

Jim Flury

Jim Flury
Technical Services Manager
The Library Network
41365 Vincenti Court 
Novi, MI 48375
248-536-3100 x133 
Fax 248-536-3098 
jflury at tln.lib.mi.us