Committee approves three-year ILS and resource-library agreements between MPL and county federated system

The Community and Economic Development Committee voted to approve three interagency agreements between the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) and the Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS) covering 2025–2028.

Carly Peterson, MPL associate director for IT, technical services and collections, and Sarah Loshinski, MPL business finance manager, briefed the committee on three long-standing agreements: the ILS (integrated library system) Resource Sharing and Technology Agreement; a bibliographic database development and maintenance agreement; and a Resource Library Agreement designating MPL as the county resource library.

Financial terms and services: Peterson told the committee MPL will continue to host and maintain cooperative infrastructure that supports countywide library services. For 2025 MPL’s obligation to facilitate the bibliographic database and related services was estimated at about $642,830; Peterson said that cost will be provided 100% through a grant from MCFLS for the 2025 obligation. Under the Resource Library Agreement, MPL will invest a minimum of $75,000 annually in the MCFLS OverDrive Advantage account for curated digital content; MCFLS will remit payment for services at 6.25% of state system aid it receives during 2025–2028.

Committee discussion: Alderman Marina Dimitrijevich raised constituent concerns about changes in access to a popular digital platform (referred to in committee as Hoopla). Peterson said the platform’s cost structure has become increasingly expensive for libraries and that vendors and publishers are driving higher charges; she said the agreements before the committee largely preserve existing funding and services but that libraries nationwide and locally are exploring alternative models for digital content.

Action taken: Alderman Deandre Jackson moved adoption of file number 241-426; the committee recorded no objections and the resolution was ordered approved.

Why it matters: The agreements sustain core shared infrastructure and resource access for county residents who rely on interlibrary loans, shared catalogs and curated digital content. Committee members requested the library and federated system continue to explore options for more sustainable pricing and to improve external communications about changes to digital-content access.

Ending: The committee approved the three agreements and instructed MPL to work with MCFLS and the library board on continued outreach and options to address rising digital-content costs.