County Cat (On-Line Catalog) | Find Your Library! | Who is MCFLS?
MCFLS Staff
Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes
MCFLS Technology Plan 2008-2011
Relationship to Local & State Government
Because the Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS) works quietly behind the scenes, what it is and what it does is not readily understood. MCFLS is an umbrella agency which is primarily funded by the State of Wisconsin, overseen by the Department of Public Instruction, and administered by a seven-member Board of Trustees. It functions as a membership organization - with its membership made up of the 15 administratively autonomous and fiscally independent public libraries in Milwaukee County. These public libraries join the MCFLS organization voluntarily and renew their memberships periodically by signing a "membership" agreement.
The purpose of the organization is to encourage cooperation and resource sharing among members, thereby making public libraries easier for Milwaukee County residents to use. MCFLS member libraries agree to share library cards, to allow citizens of one community to use the library of another community, to "request" items from any other member library and to pickup and return materials to any member location.
Some organization costs are shared by the members. In the case of MCFLS those pro-rated costs help fund county-wide computer services, thereby achieving economies of scale and saving tax dollars. Other member services are provided directly by MCFLS, on a free of charge basis. Those include; delivery trucks to move material between members, continuing education opportunities for library staff, and special services made available to all library users by the Milwaukee Public Central Library. MCFLS staff oversee organization activities and, relative to issues affecting all members, facilitate meetings, discussion, and group decision-making.
MCFLS has existed for more than 25 years and, during all that time, in its quiet behind the scenes way, has helped the public libraries in Milwaukee County serve YOU better!
MEMBERS: Brown Deer Public Library |
County Cat (On-Line Catalog) | Find Your Library! | Who is MCFLS?
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