What South Central Regional Library Council does

South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC) is a non-profit regional library council founded in 1967 and headquartered in Ithaca, New York. It serves as a coordinating consortium for 87+ member libraries, library systems, and cultural organizations across 14 counties and 10,000 square miles of South Central New York State. Its member base spans academic institutions (25 of which receive Coordinated Collection Development Aid annually), public libraries, school library systems (including BOCES and K-12), special libraries, hospital libraries, and historical societies/museums. SCRLC is one of nine state-designated regional councils in the Empire State Library Network (ESLN), giving it unique access to statewide platforms including New York Heritage, NYS Historic Newspapers, Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative, and Empire State Immersive Experiences.

SCRLC's product surface is organized into four pillars: (1) resource sharing — the BARC (Bibliographic and Referral Center) interlibrary loan clearinghouse and the SCORA (South Central Onsite Reciprocal Access) program, both relaunched/in-house as of 2026 and operating on Clio; (2) digitization — equipment lending (Zeutschel scanners, Epson units, film scanners), grant administration ($20K-$30K annually, individual projects up to $5K, collaborative up to $8K), web hosting via New York Heritage, and long-term preservation via the Digital Dark Archive (Archivematica + Amazon Glacier, $1/GB); (3) hospital library services — HLSP (biomedical resource access including NEJM, Ovid, STAT!Ref) and MISP (pass-through funds for ILL requests via NNLM Region 7 and EFTS); and (4) professional development — ESLN webinars, learning circles, Niche Academy training, and consultation services including Ask the Lawyer (via WNYLRC), Ask the Archivist, DEI Consulting Grants (~$350/hour), and focus groups.

The business model is membership-based, with most services delivered at no incremental cost to members. Revenue streams are recurring membership dues from governing/affiliate members, pass-through grant administration from the New York State Regional Bibliographic Databases Program, hospital library services funding, and marginal usage-based income from Digital Dark Archive storage. SCRLC conducts annual field visits to members and distributes digital and in-person programming via Constant Contact newsletters, Facebook, YouTube, and an annual calendar of webinars, workshops, and conferences. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees with member-elected representatives; the organization operates with 1-10 staff and is independent of any parent or investor entity.

Name

South Central Regional Library Council

Legal name

South Central Regional Library Council

Website

https://scrlc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Central Regional Library Council is a non-profit regional library consortium serving 87+ academic, public, school, special, hospital, and historical libraries across 14 counties in South Central New York State, providing resource sharing, digitization, grant administration, and professional development as one of nine Empire State Library Network councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SCRLC operates as a membership-based organization serving libraries in 14 counties. Members include academic libraries, public libraries, school libraries, special libraries, hospital libraries, and historical organizations. Services are provided to members including access to electronic resources, digitization programs, professional development, and interlibrary loan support.
2. Grant Funding Administration: SCRLC administers digitization grants funded by New York State Regional Bibliographic Databases Program and other sources. Approximately $20,000 to $30,000 in grant funds are made available annually to members, with individual projects up to $5,000 and collaborative projects up to $8,000.
3. Hospital Library Services Program (HLSP): Funding to support collection development, technology, and services for hospital libraries including library books, journal subscriptions, technology, circuit service, and library educational programs. Free/discounted access to biomedical resources including New England Journal of Medicine, Ovid select ejournals, and STAT!Ref.
4. Digital Preservation Services: Digital Dark Archive storage available at $1 per 1 gigabyte of storage. SCRLC provides this courtesy to members by adding their NYHeritage collections for free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SCRLC is a nonprofit membership-based regional library council providing advocacy, resource sharing, digitization, professional development, and grant administration services to 87+ member libraries across 14 counties in South Central New York. Core offerings include the BARC interlibrary loan clearinghouse, SCORA reciprocal borrowing program, digitization services with grants and equipment lending, hospital library services with biomedical resources, electronic resource subscriptions, and statewide coordination through the Empire State Library Network.

Product overview

South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC) is a regional library consortium serving 14 counties in South Central New York State, operating as a platform of interconnected library services rather than a single product. The core offerings include resource sharing programs (BARC interlibrary loan clearinghouse and SCORA onsite reciprocal access), digitization services (grants, equipment lending, web hosting via New York Heritage, and digital preservation via Digital Dark Archive), hospital library services (HLSP and MISP for health information access), grant programs (digitization and DEI consulting grants), and professional development (webinars, training, focus groups, career services). Electronic resource subscriptions include Candid Foundation Directory, EBSCO Literary Reference Source, LibGuides, Niche Academy, OCLC FirstSearch/WorldCat Discovery, and AskUs 24/7 Virtual Reference. Additional services encompass advocacy support, traveling exhibits, Ask the Lawyer and Ask the Archivist consultation services, advisory committees, and member communication tools. The consortium facilitates collaboration among 87+ member libraries through coordinated programs, shared resources, and professional networking opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BARC (Bibliographic and Referral Center) Regional interlibrary loan clearinghouse providing both ILL support and backup services to libraries needing access to borrowing and lending networks including WorldShare and DOCLINE. Libraries can request returnable materials and nonreturnable items such as articles or book chapters through the Clio-based request management system.
• SCORA (South Central Onsite Reciprocal Access) Program enabling serious library users to create a library account and check out circulating materials from participating libraries in person across the region, increasing opportunities for onsite borrowing from a larger number of libraries.
• Digitization Program Comprehensive digitization services including consultation, training, equipment lending, web hosting through New York Heritage, and digital preservation through Digital Dark Archive. Services help members evaluate collections, plan projects, apply for grants, and develop workflows for digitization initiatives.
• Digitization Grants Annual grant program providing $20,000-$30,000 in funds to members for digitization projects. Individual applications limited to $5,000; partnership applications up to $8,000. Projects result in materials being accessible through New York Heritage, NYS Historic Newspapers, Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative, or discoverable through Wikipedia.
• DEI Consulting Grants Grant program providing consulting time with DEI experts to help member organizations make systematic changes related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility. Grants typically cover 2-7 hours at approximately $350 per hour of consulting time with Dr. Kawanna Bright.
• Hospital Library Services Program (HLSP) Program supporting information needs of regional health care professionals by providing health and medical information resources, helping hospital libraries meet service goals, and offering continuing education and training opportunities. Includes access to biomedical resources such as NEJM, Ovid ejournals, and STAT!Ref.
• Medical Information Services Program (MISP) Pool of funds administered through SCRLC and ESLN to help pay for interlibrary loan requests filled by Upstate Medical Center and other NNLM resource libraries. SCRLC is part of NNLM Region 7.
• Ask the Lawyer Service providing access to an attorney for questions about intellectual property, digital rights management, vendor contracts, first amendment, civil rights, human resources, and employment law affecting library operations. Offered in collaboration with ESLN councils. Attorney Stephanie Adams serves the service.
• Ask the Archivist Service provided through ESLN staffed by archivists at several councils. Available to provide answers to basic questions regarding archives and special collections including processing, preservation, reference, acquisition, appraisal, and digital projects.
• Traveling Exhibits Multiple exhibits available for members to borrow for one month at a time. Exhibits include Urban Renewal in New York State, Immigration in New York State 1650-1950, Making Sense of the Census, Erie Canal Bicentennial, Women's Right to Vote, Hurricane Agnes Flood, and Craft Beverage Memory Project.
• Coordinated Collection Development Aid (CCDA) State-funded program recognizing academic library contributions to resource sharing. SCRLC staff act as liaison between libraries and the state, handling paperwork and assisting with the application process. Twenty-five SCRLC academic institutions receive CCDA funding annually.
• Career Services Services including job listings for library professionals in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions, confidential resume and cover letter review, interview coaching, and paid internship opportunities for MLIS students.
• Focus Groups SCRLC staff conduct focus groups for members to provide qualitative assessment for user needs, expectations, or satisfaction with programs and services. Service is generally free for members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87+ member libraries and cultural organizations served across 14 counties and 10,000 square miles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Empire State Library Network (ESLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESLN is a consortium of nine regional library councils in New York State. SCRLC participates in ESLN services including Ask the Lawyer, Ask the Archivist, Candid Foundation Directory access, Empire Library Delivery, and ESLN Continuing Education Calendar. ESLN provides coordinated services across the state library system.
• New York Heritage Digital CollectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York Heritage is a research portal for students, educators, historians, genealogists, and lifelong learners comprising digitized historical materials about New York State. SCRLC supports member digitization projects for inclusion in NY Heritage.
• Empire Archival Discovery CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA statewide initiative enabling finding aids to be contributed for online accessibility. SCRLC members can contribute finding aids to the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative.
• Empire State Immersive Experiences (ESIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 360-degree immersive experience platform. SCRLC supports member participation in ESIE through digitization projects and grants.
• NYS Historic NewspaperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide newspaper digitization program. SCRLC members contribute digitized newspapers to the platform through the digitization grant program.
• Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLRC co-sponsors events with SCRLC including the Future-Proofed Resource Sharing: Libraries of Things conference. Both councils collaborate on regional library programming.
• National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCRLC is part of NNLM Region 7. The Medical Information Services Program (MISP) provides funds to help libraries pay for interlibrary loan requests filled by Upstate Medical Center and other NNLM resource libraries.
• Southeastern NY Library Resources Council (SENYLRC)coreTechnology or IntegrationSENYLRC administers the Digital Dark Archive for long-term storage of digital files. SCRLC sends preservation-quality master copies to SENYLRC for processing via Archivematica and storage via Amazon Glacier.
• New York State LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCRLC works with NYS Library on CCDA program administration, MISP funding, and state library aid advocacy. The MISP program provides funds made available by the NYS Library.
• Northeast Historic FilmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for film digitization services. Hanford Mills Museum uses Northeast Historic Film to digitize movie films, audio tapes, and VHS tapes through SCRLC grant funding.
• Advantage ArchivesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigitization service provider used by multiple SCRLC members including Southern Tier Library System, Huntington Memorial Library, Ulysses Philomathic Library, and Interlaken Public Library for newspaper digitization.
• NNYLN (Northwest New York Library Network)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigitization service provider. Fenimore Art Museum uses NNYLN to digitize microfilmed newspapers for NYS Historic Newspapers through SCRLC grant funding.
• Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWNYLRC provides the Ask the Lawyer service collaboratively with SCRLC and other ESLN councils. Stephanie Adams serves as the attorney for this shared service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• OCLC: The global library cooperative behind WorldCat, OCLC FirstSearch/WorldCat Discovery, and ILL infrastructure. OCLC is a core vendor SCRLC members access and represents the dominant commercial/utility layer in resource sharing.
• LYRASIS: A large multi-state library and cultural heritage consortium offering technology, content, and preservation services to thousands of libraries and archives. LYRASIS overlaps with SCRLC in digitization, preservation, and collective purchasing, but at a much broader geographic scale.

Regional players

• Califa Library Group: A California-based library consortium offering statewide group purchasing, training, and shared digital content services to public and other libraries — comparable in mission and service mix to SCRLC but on the West Coast.
• NELINET (New England Library Network): A library network serving New England institutions with shared technology services, training, and group purchasing. Functionally analogous to SCRLC at a multi-state regional level.
• Bibliomation: A Connecticut-based library consortium providing shared technology, ILS, ILL, and training services to public, school, and academic libraries. Comparable consortium model to SCRLC but serving a different geography.

Direct peers

• Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC): Another ESLN regional council serving western New York libraries, WNYLRC partners with SCRLC on the shared Ask the Lawyer service and offers the same core menu of resource sharing, advocacy, digitization support, and continuing education.
• North Country Library Network: One of the nine NY regional library councils, NCLN serves the North Country region with similar consortium-based services including resource sharing, training, and advocacy for member libraries.
• Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC): A fellow ESLN council covering the central NY region. CLRC co-sponsors events with SCRLC (e.g., the Future-Proofed Resource Sharing conference) and offers an overlapping mix of resource sharing, training, and grant administration to its member libraries.
• Southeastern NY Library Resources Council (SENYLRC): One of the nine NY regional library councils in ESLN, SENYLRC provides parallel resource sharing, digitization, and professional development services in the lower Hudson Valley. It is also SCRLC's technology partner for the Digital Dark Archive, making it both peer and collaborator.

Others

• Empire State Library Network (ESLN): The statewide consortium of nine NY regional library councils, of which SCRLC is a member. ESLN provides shared services (Ask the Lawyer, Ask the Archivist, Empire Library Delivery, continuing education) that SCRLC channels to its members, functioning as an ecosystem enabler.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLbDOVlZqQx8bYHMVVcZg-J8yD_1A1vR50
• Facebookfacebook.com/South-Central-Regional-Library-Council-63754052872
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-central-regional-library-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about South Central Regional Library Council