The ReciproCard Report: Minnesota
Overview
Minnesota runs on agreements, and there are a lot of them.
Minnesota has 14 separate Libby catalogs, which means 14 different collections of books sitting in the same state. Libraries here have struck reciprocal agreements with each other so their cardholders can cross over, and I've confirmed 224 new card opportunities as a result.
Libraries and Libby Participation
Library systems: 137
On Libby: 131 (95.6%)
Not on Libby: 6
The ones not on Libby: Carver County Library System, Columbia Heights Public Library, Kitchigami Regional Library, Northwest Regional Library, Owatonna-Steele County Library, Waseca-Le Sueur Regional Library. ReciproCard only tracks Libby, so I can't say what those libraries use instead.
Not every library system uses Libby. Some offer digital borrowing through other services, and a few haven't adopted a digital platform yet. This report only covers libraries that are on Libby.
Unique Catalogs
Minnesota has 14 different shared digital catalogs. Every one you can reach through a partnership, an agreement, or a non-resident card is a different library of books on Libby. The collections really do differ from one system to the next, so every new card here is a real upgrade.
A shared digital catalog, sometimes called a consortium, is a collection of ebooks and audiobooks that multiple library systems fund and share together. Each catalog listed below is a separate collection. Libraries that belong to the same one are all drawing from the same pool of books.
Ten Largest Catalogs
| Catalog | Library systems |
|---|---|
| Southeastern Libraries Cooperating | 33 |
| Arrowhead Library System | 28 |
| Plum Creek Library System | 21 |
| Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative | 18 |
| Viking Library System | 12 |
| MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary | 11 |
| (unnamed in source data) | 1 |
| East Central Regional Library | 1 |
| East Grand Forks-Campbell Library | 1 |
| Great River Regional Library | 1 |
Plus 4 more, 8 of which serve a single library.
A shared catalog is what happens when a group of libraries pool their money and buy one collection together. ReciproCard hides libraries that share a catalog you already have, because a second card for the same collection just shows you the same books twice. Everything counted below is a collection you don't already have.
New Card Opportunities
New card opportunities: 224
Through agreements: 120
Through Libby Partners: 104
120 of Minnesota's 131 Libby libraries, or 91.6%, have at least one.
A new card opportunity is any time a library system's cardholders can access a Libby catalog they don't already have, as identified by ReciproCard. These come from Libby partnerships (where your existing card works at another library's catalog), reciprocal agreements (where you apply for a free card at another system), and statewide programs (where a library is open to all residents regardless of location). ReciproCard filters out duplicate catalogs, so each opportunity listed here represents access to a genuinely different collection. Keep in mind that ReciproCard only tracks agreements that include Libby access. Many libraries have reciprocity for physical books but not Libby, and those aren't counted here.
The partner ones are the easy wins, since your current card already works on them. Chase those first, then work on the rest.
Open to everyone in the state
1 library in Minnesota will give a card to any resident of the state, wherever you live. 0 online, 1 in person. Worth checking before anything else, since eligibility is guaranteed.
How Minnesota Compares
- 21st of 51 for number of library systems (137).
- Tied for 14th of 51 for separate Libby catalogs (14).
- 14th of 51 for new card opportunities (224).
- 8th of 51 for opportunities through Libby Partners (104).
- Largest catalog: Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (33 libraries).
Explore Other States
Haven't Searched Your Own Library Yet?
This report gives you the statewide picture, but your results depend on your local system. If you haven't already, enter your home library system in the search above to see what cards you might be eligible for.