About the Council
Regional library systems offer traditional materials and electronic information technology to almost every Minnesota community — with more than 50 years of successful experience supporting the work of local libraries.
Regional systems create maximum efficiencies among public libraries. By working together, Minnesota's libraries bring all of these services to every resident. Even the smallest libraries in Minnesota's systems have access to the wide range of materials and electronic services.
The twelve systems blanket the state. All twelve regions work closely together with the state library agency to provide smoothly integrated resources.
Mission
Regional Public Library Systems coordinate and improve public library services within their regions and across the state.
Vision
Regional Public Library Systems energize the public library community by using their combined talents to provide leadership in identifying where public libraries will be in the future.
Our belief
Regional Public Library Systems are:
- Agents of change
- Equalizers of service
- Promoters of life-long learning, and
- Providers of access and opportunity
Our purpose
To come together to discuss ideas and issues that further the mission of regional public library systems across the state. We:
- Maintain a statewide focus
- Determine individual, local, and statewide needs
- Promote the development of goals to meet the identified needs for cultural, educational, and recreational library services
- Identify resources to support library service goals
- Serve as a laboratory for identifying and testing best practices
We bring passion, energy, and vision to our discussions of common problems and the possibilities for the future.
Because of regional systems, a library customer can
- Use a local library card at public libraries around the state
- Borrow materials from anywhere in the state, nation, or even the world
- Ask questions of expert reference librarians
- Obtain professional consulting services for grants and library building projects
- Search internet databases from home, school, and work computers
- Attend summer reading programs for children
- Download eBooks and other digital resources
Library to library
- Regional systems provide internet connections for libraries to search MNLINK for a connection to all library materials in the state
- Seventeen million books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs in Minnesota's public libraries are shared via interlibrary loan (ILL)
- Twelve million items in academic, school, and special libraries are available through MNLINK
Internet connections
- The regions manage the statewide telecommunications network that brings internet to libraries
- All regions maintain websites that guide users to information on the internet