Welcome to the MRSC Library
The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) is a nonprofit corporation, under contract with the Municipal Research Council, a state agency, to provide cities, towns, and counties with a technical, consultative, and field services program. The cities' portion of the program is funded through the cities' share of the motor vehicle excise tax; the counties' portion comes from the counties' share of the liquor excise tax. Among MRSC's services are an inquiry service, publishing services, and a comprehensive library of books, ordinances, and other materials related to local government.
Tradition of Library Services to Municipalities
Library services to Washington city and town officials were first provided by the Center's predecessor, the Bureau of Governmental Research and Services at the University of Washington. During its first year of operation, the Bureau organized a special library collection of public administration and municipal government information. Its initial holdings included 650 titles plus 40 periodical subscriptions. In 1945 the Bureau's collection was integrated into the Political Science and Governmental Research Branch Library of the University's library system. When the Bureau was abolished in 1969 and the Center created, library materials belonging to the Bureau were transferred to the Center.
Library services to Washington's county officials began on July 1, 1997. The
service program to counties was authorized by Substitute Senate Bill 5521.
Description of the Center's Library Resources
The Collection. The scope of the current day collection is much broader and more technical than that of 1934, though many of the problems faced by municipalities are the same. Emphasis has been placed on creating a working collection of current materials which includes technical information, handbooks, how-to-do-it manuals, background information, as well as examples of products created by city officials. Collection development has focused on getting the municipalities to share information using the Center as the conduit.
The library's holdings consist of over 13,000 cataloged titles, approximately 500 newsletters, journals, and magazines, and approximately 3,800 vertical files containing tear sheets from newsletters, news clippings, inquiry responses, and other items related to the subject of each particular file. Included in the collection are audio and video tapes, computer disks and microforms.
The core of the collection is formed by basic legal references and publications of the various professional organizations related to municipal government administration. The library's holdings include over 200 Washington municipal codes. The code holdings appear as a separate list on this page.
Online Services. Online services include MRSC's online catalog operating with Data Trek (EOSi) Professional software and several Folio Views infobases which include ordinance summaries, interlocal and private contracts, personnel policies, a vertical file index, and the inquiry assistance database.
In the summer of 1993 MRSC went "online" with an electronic bulletin board. This was followed in the summer of 1996 by a Web site for Washington municipal officials. The Web site subject pages are similar to the organization of information found in MRSC's library. Each page contains a variety of topics which in turn may contain key reference sources, statutes, court decisions, administrative regulations. The Web also provides access to the RCW, WAC, municipal codes, and the databases mentioned above developed by MRSC library staff.
MRSC staff work with and acquire publications from professional groups such as the American Planning Association, International City/County Management Association, the International Institute of Municipal Law Officers, International Conference of Building Officials, Urban Land Institute, National League of Cities, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Government Finance Officers Association, International Association of the Chiefs of Police, National Fire Protection Association, Water Environment Federation, American Water Works Association, and others.
Inquiry Assistance Program. The inquiry service program for Washington's municipalities began in 1934. The library has copies on microfilm of all inquiry correspondence with each city and town dating to 1934. At the end of each year the inquiry correspondence for that year is microfilmed and is added to the reference collection. In the summer of 1992 full text access to inquiry responses was possible with the addition of Folio Views software. The infobase contains selected inquiries dating from 1988 to present which are used by staff consultants in their research.
Growth Management. In response to the need for information to implement the Growth Management Act, the Center has developed its collection of planning publications. A grant was received from the Washington State Department of Community Development in 1991 to purchase growth management related materials for use by cities and towns as well as counties. The library has continued to build that collection.
Library Organization
Library Classification System. Central to the organization of the information is the Library Classification Schedule (LCS), which was developed through years of addressing the information needs of Washington's municipalities. The LCS consists of approximately 3,800 subject designations that fall under 26 basic headings. The basic headings are: airports, buildings and construction, elections, environment, energy conservation, Economic development, finance, franchises, general government, human resources, housing, intergovernmental relations, insurance, libraries, licensing and regulations, metropolitan-regional government, parks and recreation, personnel, planning, property management, public relations, public safety, public works, special districts, traffic and parking, and utilities. Each of these topics is subdivided; many of which are based on requirements of Washington laws. The LCS appears as a Folio file under the Database Options of MRSC's Web site.
Library Catalog. In the fall of 1992 MRSC completed the automation of its catalog. In the summer of 1995 the Center converted to Data Trek Professional Series which provides full MARC cataloging. Currently all cataloging at MRSC is original cataloging. The majority of the holdings are unique to MRSC and not available in other libraries. Currently the catalog is only accessible by MRSC staff, with selected library subject holdings featured on our Bibliographies page.
Other Services
The Center's library staff prepares a number of items to make city officials aware of new items in the library.
Master Library Index (Articles, Ordinances, Contracts). A comprehensive list of new ordinances, articles, and intergovernmental and private contracts received by the Center is prepared and posted on the library's Web page. Excerpts of this list also appear in the Municipal Research News. The Master Library Index has been cumulated from 1990 to date and appears in a Folio Views infodatabase that can be searched on the Web. 1995 legislation directs all city and town clerks to send one copy of their ordinances to MRSC as part of an ordinance pooling, information sharing process. These ordinances are indexed. Selected ordinances are requested in electronic format and are posted in the files library of the Web.
New Acquisitions. New acquisitions are highlighted in Municipal Research News, and the WCMA Newsletter. A monthly list is posted on the Web.
Bibliographies. Library staff have prepared special topical bibliographies and lists of materials available from MRSC's library. The bibliographies and lists are posted under the subject headings on the Web.
Compilations. Library compilations are prepared on frequently requested topics. The compilations may include copies of ordinances, articles, reports, and other background items. The library hopes to include electronic copies of some of these compilations on the Web. A list of existing compilations has been posted.
MRSC Library Loan Policy
The resources of MRCS's library are available to city, town and county officials on a loan basis. Smaller items are often photocopied and given to the recipient to keep. The loan period is generally three weeks, though items in high demand may receive shorter loan periods.