Peace Library System
Peace Library System is a not-for-profit consortium headquartered in Grande Prairie, Alberta that delivers shared technical, IT, courier, collection, and consulting services to 46 member public libraries across the Peace region of northern Alberta under provincial government funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersGrande Prairie, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Peace Library System does
Peace Library System is a not-for-profit consortium established in 1986 and headquartered in Grande Prairie, Alberta, that operates as the shared-services backbone for 46 public libraries across the Peace region of northern Alberta. Its core function is to provide member libraries with centralized technical infrastructure, IT support, courier/delivery logistics, collection management, consulting, training, and digital resource access, enabling small rural libraries to operate at a scale none could achieve independently. The technology stack is built around the Polaris Integrated Library System, the TRACpac+ shared online catalogue (launched September 2025), the LEAP web application, Simply Reports for analytics, and integrations with Libby/Overdrive for digital lending, CELA and NNELS for accessible services, and Google Analytics for website usage tracking.
The business model is government-funded under Alberta's Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation, with revenue sourced through provincial government channels rather than direct member fees. Services are delivered through a headquarters staff of 11-50 employees supplemented by field consultants who serve named member libraries across geographies including Grande Prairie, Peace River, Slave Lake, Fairview, and surrounding communities, as well as Indigenous reserves and settlements in Treaty 8 Territory. The consortium is governed by the Peace Library Board and operates under multi-year Plans of Service, with the current 2025-2030 plan prioritizing relationship building, advocacy, training, operational efficiency, and environmental impact. Product surface spans Blocks & Kits, Consulting Services, Collection Services, Delivery Services, Indigenous Services, IT Services, School Services, Training Programs, and eResources, distributed through direct field service to member libraries, a primary website (peacelibrarysystem.ab.ca), a quarterly News & Notes newsletter, the annual PLS Symposium, and a Staff Niche Academy training portal.
Peace Library System firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peace Library System
- Legal name
- Peace Library System
- Website
- https://peacelibrarysystem.ab.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Peace Library System is a not-for-profit consortium headquartered in Grande Prairie, Alberta that delivers shared technical, IT, courier, collection, and consulting services to 46 member public libraries across the Peace region of northern Alberta under provincial government funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peace Library System industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Library Consortium Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
Keywords
Where Peace Library System is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grande Prairie
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Peace Library System business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding: As a public library system, Peace Library System operates through government funding from Alberta provincial sources, serving as a non-profit consortium supporting member public libraries
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Peace Library System product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peace Library System is a regional library consortium that delivers shared library technology, collection, and operational services to 46 public libraries across northern Alberta. Its core deliverables include a unified Polaris-based catalogue and patron platform (TRACpac+ and Polaris Leap), shared eResources and digital content access, an inter-library courier and delivery network, IT help-desk support, cataloguing and collection-development services, and staff training and professional development.
Product overview
Peace Library System operates as a consortium of 46 public libraries in northern Alberta, providing centralized services and support. The core product is TRACpac+, the shared online library catalog that enables patrons across all member libraries to search, hold, and borrow materials from the collective collection. Supporting services include Blocks & Kits (themed lending collections), Collection Services (centralized cataloging and resource sharing), Delivery Services (physical courier connecting member libraries), IT Services and Help Desk (technical support for the ILS), Consulting Services (professional guidance for member libraries), Indigenous Services (serving reserve and settlement communities), School Services, and Training Programs. The system also provides access to eResources including Libby/Overdrive digital content, CELA and NNELS accessible services, and other databases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TRACpac+ TRACpac+ is the public-facing online catalogue interface used by patrons of Peace Library System's 46 member libraries to search and access shared holdings across northern Alberta.
- All Access Romance on Libby All Access Romance on Libby is a shared romance digital content collection delivered through the Libby/OverDrive platform, giving patrons of member libraries access to a pooled eBook and eAudiobook romance catalogue.
- Simply Reports
Companies that use Peace Library System
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Peace Library System technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature3 records
Peace Library System partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TRACpac ConsortiumcoreTRAC (The Regional Automation Consortium) provides the shared online catalogue platform (TRACpac+) used by Peace Library System and other Alberta library systems for patron access, holds management, and account services.
- CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access)coreCELA provides accessible library services to print-disabled patrons through audiobook CDs (until July 2025), DAISY players, digital downloads, and other accessible formats. Peace Library System is a CELA member library.
- NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service)coreNNELS provides accessible digital content including audiobooks and ebooks for patrons with print disabilities. Available through the Peace Library System.
- Member Public Librariescore46 public libraries form the consortium membership, participating in shared services, resource sharing, and governance through the Peace Library Board.
- Government of Alberta - Community Development UnitcorePartnership with Alberta Community Development for conducting in-person Plan of Service sessions with member libraries in Grande Prairie, Fairview, and Slave Lake.
- Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA)coreNational advocacy body for libraries providing toolkit and resources for federal election advocacy and intellectual freedom initiatives.
- Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA)minorSupports Alberta Book Day initiatives and Read Alberta collections in library systems.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peace Library System competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marigold Library System: Alberta regional library consortium serving member libraries in southern Alberta. Operates under identical Libraries Act mandate with the same cataloguing, delivery, IT, and consulting service portfolio; structurally a twin to PLS in service offering.
- Chinook Arch Regional Library System: Alberta regional library consortium serving southwestern Alberta member libraries. Comparable in mandate, governance, and service mix under the Libraries Act framework; operates the same kind of shared catalogue and delivery infrastructure as PLS.
- Northern Lights Library System: A regional library consortium serving northern Alberta municipalities outside the Peace region. Most directly comparable peer: operates under the same Alberta Libraries Act, delivers identical courier/IT/cataloguing/consulting services to a similar member-library count, and shares a recent staff crossover (Kris Jorgensen) with PLS.
- Yellowhead Regional Library: Alberta regional library system operating under the same Libraries Act framework, providing consortium services (catalogue, courier, IT, training) to member public libraries in west-central Alberta. Directly comparable governance model and service mix to PLS.
- Shortgrass Library System: Alberta regional library system providing shared services to southeastern Alberta member libraries. Same statutory framework, same service categories (ILS, courier, training, consulting) as PLS; a direct consortium-model peer.
Broad incumbents
- Edmonton Public Library: Large Alberta urban public library system. Larger and broader-scope than PLS but operates under the same provincial legislation and is referenced as a previous employer of PLS's Collection Services Manager; comparable on governance, services, and patron technology stack.
- Calgary Public Library: Major Alberta urban public library system. Operates under the same Libraries Act as PLS with overlapping technology (Polaris ILS) and patron-facing catalogue; much larger scale but similar service breadth and regulatory environment.
- Toronto Public Library: Canada's largest public library system. Operates a similar ILS-based catalogue, digital lending, and community service portfolio as PLS at much greater scale; useful peer for benchmarking what mature Canadian public library operations look like, though not a structural consortium-model match.
Regional players
- Okanagan Regional Library: British Columbia regional library consortium serving the Okanagan region. Operates the same multi-branch consortium model with shared catalogue, delivery, and consulting services; relevant peer given PLS staff cross-pollination (Kris Jorgensen previously worked at ORL).
- Vancouver Island Regional Library: British Columbia regional library consortium serving Vancouver Island and adjacent communities. Functions as PLS's direct structural analogue in a different province — multi-branch consortium model, courier service, shared ILS, and consulting to member municipalities; cross-listed because Kris Jorgensen previously worked there.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peace Library System social profiles
Digital presencePeace Library System compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Peace Library System financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peace Library System leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Peace Library System funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peace Library System M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peace Library System
What does Peace Library System do?
Peace Library System is a regional library consortium that delivers shared library technology, collection, and operational services to 46 public libraries across northern Alberta. Its core deliverables include a unified Polaris-based catalogue and patron platform (TRACpac+ and Polaris Leap), shared eResources and digital content access, an inter-library courier and delivery network, IT help-desk support, cataloguing and collection-development services, and staff training and professional development.
Is Peace Library System a public or private company?
Peace Library System is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Peace Library System founded?
Peace Library System was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Peace Library System based?
Peace Library System is headquartered in Grande Prairie, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Peace Library System make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are Peace Library System's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marigold Library System, Chinook Arch Regional Library System, Northern Lights Library System, Yellowhead Regional Library and Shortgrass Library System. Broad incumbents are Edmonton Public Library, Calgary Public Library and Toronto Public Library. Regional players are Okanagan Regional Library and Vancouver Island Regional Library.
Does Peace Library System have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peace Library System.
What industry is Peace Library System in?
Peace Library System's product category is Library Consortium Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAC, Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAF, Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing). Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8200.