Mountainside Library Joins the Main Library Alliance
On May 1, 2024 the Mountainside Public Library became the 40th member library and 52nd physical location to join the Main Library Alliance (Main). The addition underscores Main’s continued commitment to providing high-quality, cost-effective shared services to its member libraries, located in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren Counties. Main’s mission is to encourage collaboration and resource sharing by creating sustainable shared services partnerships that both improve local residents’ access and make the overall network that much more valuable to all. Main is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to lead and encourage collaboration, resource sharing, staff development, and innovation by providing high-quality, cost-effective shared services to member libraries for their communities.
Joining Main is an exciting and economical way to increase service levels to and resources for our patrons. Our patrons will have the use of a shared collection that provides them with easy access to millions of items. The library will have the technical support it needs to function, and all of it will cost less than the library would spend as a stand-alone entity. After researching the options, Main was clearly the winner on every front.
Why join Main?
Joining Main provides an amazing expansion of resources and services for our patrons while providing the library with the technical expertise and support needed to keep our system running. In 2023 the State of New Jersey in conjunction with the Union County Board of Commissioners made funds available for Union County libraries to enter into shared services agreements with library consortia. The Library Director and Board of Trustees researched the options and determined that Main offers the broadest opportunities and highest quality services for the Mountainside community.
What are some of the benefits of Main that will directly benefit library patrons?
There are quite a few! Patrons will be able to borrow from nearly 5 million items available from 40 member-libraries (52 physical library sites). With an expanded “shop-from-home” experience, patrons can browse the catalogs of all 40 libraries at once, make their selections, and have the items sent to any Main library for pickup. Patrons will also have access to a wider range of digital information and downloadable items including eBooks and eAudiobooks which translates into shorter wait times for popular items. In the coming months, Mountainside patrons will have online access to Consumer Reports, The Wall Street Journal, and the language learning program, Mango Language.
Although nearby libraries such as Westfield, Springfield, Scotch Plains, and Cranford are not members of Main and; therefore, do not share the same catalog, Mountainside patrons are welcome to use those libraries and check out materials from them in-person. All patrons must place holds through the home library.
With all that the library is gaining, is joining Main going to add significant costs to operating the library?
No. The great part is that joining Main is actually going to cost a little bit less than if the library were to remain independent. The bottom line is that the economies of scale and technical expertise that Main provides enable us to pay less and get more in the way of patron-centered resources and technical support that is critical to ongoing operations.
Are there any issues that patrons need to be aware of?
Yes. Patrons will need to pay careful attention to due dates and renewals. A major benefit of being part of Main is that Mountainside patrons can check out materials belonging to any of the 40 Main libraries. Patrons must remember that because each library sets its own loan periods and number of automatic renewals, items from multiple libraries may have different due dates and different renewal terms. Patrons will receive courtesy email reminders three days before the due date of each item. Note that emails will come from circ-mts@mainlib.org Main and not from a Mountainside email address.
