Oil Creek and Seneca Library Districts have entered into a Reciprocal Lending Agreement (RLA) through OverDrive – the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. The RLA allows patrons to use both District’s OverDrive collections with just their home library card.

“Access is a core value of our districts, and entering into the RLA allows us the double benefit of improved patron service and a greater return on investment for the materials we purchase for our digital collections,” says Leslie LaBarte of Seneca District.

“The RLA began on November 1, 2019, and our patrons are very happy with the project. Our collections are relatively small, but they each have a different selection of materials, so our patrons are really getting a whole different library to explore” says Erin Joyce of Oil Creek District.

Oil Creek and Seneca Districts are excited to be able to cooperate in such an effective way. There is a long history of cooperation between the two Districts, but this project is the most patron-facing attempted so far. “We are always looking for ways to maximize the impact of our limited resources,” says Joyce. LaBarte continued, “With so many of our member libraries being very small and very rural, this agreement allows them to provide resources that they would not be able to afford on their own – and that makes all of us better.”

Erin Joyce and Leslie LaBarte can be contacted via email at consultant@oilcreek.org (Erin) or districtconsultant@senecadistrictlibraries.org (Leslie). Find their respective OverDrive collections at oilcreek.overdrive.com and senecalibraries.overdrive.com. Happy Reading!