About the Plum Creek Library System
Public library services have been available in Minnesota for over 150 years. For the past 50 years Regional Public Library Systems have worked to ensure quality library services for every Minnesotan, regardless of physical location. Our region in southwestern Minnesota was the setting of Laura Ingalls Wilder's book ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK from which we take our name.
The Twelve Library Systems work closely together with the State Library Agency to provide smoothly integrated, statewide resources. The Minnesota Reciprocal Borrowing Compact insures users can access collections owned by any library around the state. For example, residents of Tyler in southwestern Minnesota can borrow materials from their local collection of 8,000 items, or they can easily access the over 800,000 items owned by the 26 libraries in the Plum Creek Regional Library System. Any item not owned by a Plum Creek Library can be borrowed from anywhere in the state, expanding the collection size to more than 28,000,000 items, including public, school, academic, and special libraries. Open resource sharing and efficient delivery systems make access to specialized and valuable information possible no matter where in Minnesota you live.
The Plum Creek Library System is a federated regional public library system in which each library is funded locally, has its own library board, selects its own materials and retains local control. Each library must maintain a minimum level of financial support to belong to the system. As a result, the system earns revenue from state and federal sources which is used for the benefit of all members.
With the vast amount of information available and rising costs, it is not possible for a single library to meet all the demands placed upon it. The 26 member public libraries of our system share resources, programs, personnel and technical innovations. By working together as a team, we are able to achieve our common goals as well as meet the needs of our individual communities.