The Louisiana Library Network

What The Louisiana Library Network does

LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network is a statewide library consortium established in 1992 and operated as a program of the Louisiana Board of Regents. The consortium serves 47 member academic libraries across Louisiana, providing a shared infrastructure that supports 194,000+ students and faculty through collective purchasing of electronic resources, shared library technology, interlibrary loan, professional development, and an affordable-learning / open educational resources (OER) program that has documented $71M+ in student savings. LOUIS is headquartered in Baton Rouge, operates as a government state entity rather than a privately held company, and is funded through state appropriations and member institution contributions without separately disclosed membership fees.

The consortium's technical stack centers on a Library Services Platform (LSP) that bundles an Integrated Library System (ILS), discovery services, and a resource-sharing platform (ILLiad-based). Adjacent platforms include a Moodle-based Learning Management System hosted by Open LMS — used for LOUIS certifications (System Administrator, Electronic Resources Administrator, Digital Privacy), grant-funded courses, and public OER courses — as well as a Pressbooks-based publishing instance for OER creation and an ISKME-powered OER Commons repository. The A-Z Resources portal consolidates all consortium electronic resources into a single discovery interface. Supporting infrastructure is sourced from third-party providers: Springshare (LibGuides and TASK portal), ConsortiaManager (member administration), Pressbooks (publishing), and ISKME (OER Commons). Accessibility tooling (Brickfield Accessibility Toolkit in the LMS, Pressbooks Accessibility Authoring Tool) and analytics (Google Analytics 4) round out the stack. The 2025 website redesign added WAVE-driven accessibility evaluation against Section 508 and state-level requirements.

Commercially, LOUIS runs a non-profit consortium model: members join via affiliation with the Louisiana Board of Regents and access services through institutional agreements rather than per-seat or usage pricing. Two revenue streams are disclosed — recurring state appropriations from the Board of Regents and recurring member institution contributions shared across the network. Distribution is direct-to-institution with no resellers, and the go-to-market motion is community-led, reinforced by an annual LOUIS Users Conference, Learning with LOUIS webinars, the Listen with LOUIS community podcast, and two newsletters (LOUIS Lately bi-weekly digest and LOUIS Lagniappe quarterly). Member-staff training is augmented through the Professional Development Alliance (PDA), a partnership with 16 other library consortia delivering 80+ additional annual training sessions. End-user segments are higher education institutions, students, and faculty, with vertical concentration entirely in academic libraries within Louisiana.

Name

The Louisiana Library Network

Legal name

LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network

Website

https://louislibraries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LOUIS is a statewide academic library consortium under the Louisiana Board of Regents, serving 47 member libraries and 194,000+ students through shared electronic resources, a Library Services Platform, professional development, and an OER-driven Affordable Learning initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library Consortium Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Research Library Operations (College/University Libraries) (EDAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library & Learning Space Managed Operations (Circulation, Scheduling, Staffing) (EDAEALAL), Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Academic Application Support (EDALAMAC), Educational Digital Courseware & Learning Platforms (LMS-Integrated) (MPAJABAH)

Keywords

• Library consortium services
• Academic library support
• Electronic resource sharing
• Interlibrary loan services
• Open educational resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Louisiana Board of Regents): LOUIS is a statewide program of the Louisiana Board of Regents, funded through state appropriations to support Louisiana's higher education library infrastructure.
2. Member Institution Contributions: Member academic libraries participate in the consortium, with costs shared across the network to maximize collective purchasing power and resource access.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LOUIS is a statewide library consortium that acquires and provides shared access to electronic resources, library technology platforms (Integrated Library System, discovery services, resource sharing), and professional development programs for member academic libraries across Louisiana. The consortium also operates an LMS for library staff certifications, OER publishing through Pressbooks, an OER Commons repository, and the Affordable Learning Louisiana initiative.

Product overview

LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network is a statewide library consortium operating as a member organization rather than a traditional SaaS company. The consortium's core offerings include the Library Services Platform (LSP) for integrated library system management and resource sharing, the LOUIS Learning Management System (LMS) built on Moodle/Open LMS for professional certifications and OER courses, LOUIS Pressbooks for OER publishing, and LOUIS OER Commons for resource sharing. Supporting services include A-Z Resources database portal, Affordable Learning Louisiana initiative, Resource Sharing/ILL services, Assessment Services with academic library data, and member communications including the Learning with LOUIS webinar series, Listen with LOUIS podcast, LOUIS Lagniappe quarterly newsletter, and LOUIS Lately bi-weekly digest. The annual LOUIS Users Conference serves as the flagship in-person professional development event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Services Platform (LSP) A suite of software services enabling member academic libraries in Louisiana to conduct and manage vital library operations, including an Integrated Library System (ILS), discovery services, and a resource sharing platform.
• LOUIS Learning Management System (LMS) A Moodle-based learning management system hosted by Open LMS, offering LOUIS Certifications (System Administrator, Electronic Resources Administrator, Digital Privacy training), grant-funded courses, and public OER courses for library staff across member institutions.
• LOUIS Pressbooks A Pressbooks publishing platform instance used to create OER and other open educational resources for Louisiana higher education, including an Accessibility Authoring Tool.
• LOUIS OER Commons An OER repository hosting resources used in or relevant to Louisiana higher education curriculum, powered by ISKME.
• A-Z Resources A consortium-wide database and electronic resource listing aggregating all LOUIS e-resources in a single searchable portal.
• Affordable Learning Louisiana An initiative expanding access to course materials through affordable, open educational resources (OER) that has generated over $71 million in student savings.
• Resource Sharing Interlibrary loan and resource sharing services enabling member libraries to share materials across the consortium.
• Assessment Services Data and assessment resources for member academic libraries, including student and usage metrics across the 47-member consortium serving 194,000+ students.

Quantifiable outcome

• $71 M+ in student savings through affordable learning and shared resource initiatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Professional Development Alliance (PDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOUIS partners with sixteen other library consortia from across the United States to expand professional development opportunities. Through the PDA, member libraries have exclusive access to 80+ additional online sessions per year led by experts across the country.
• ASERL: Association of Southeastern Research LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance providing shared professional development resources.
• AtlacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• BLC: Boston Library ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• FLVC: Florida Virtual CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• HELIN: Higher Education Library NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• LIRN: Library Information & Resources NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• LibraryLink NJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• Minitex (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• NC LIVE: North Carolina's statewide library cooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• PASCAL: Partnership Among South Carolina Academic LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• SALS: Southern Adirondack Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• SCELC: Southern California Electric Library ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• SEFLIN: Southeast Florida Library Information NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional consortium partnership through the Professional Development Alliance.
• Louisiana Board of RegentscoreOthersLOUIS is a statewide program of the Louisiana Board of Regents. The Board provides oversight and funding for the consortium as part of the state's higher education infrastructure.
• Springshare (LibGuides)coreTechnology or IntegrationLOUIS's website uses LibGuides, provided by Springshare, for content management and member resource delivery.
• Open LMS (Moodle)coreTechnology or IntegrationOpen LMS provides the hosting infrastructure for the LOUIS Learning Management System (Moodle-based).
• PressbookscoreTechnology or IntegrationPressbooks publishing platform used by LOUIS to create and share OER and open resources through LOUIS Pressbooks.
• ConsortiaManagercoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party consortium management platform providing member-only resources and administrative tools for LOUIS members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HELIN (Higher Education Library Information Network): Consortium of academic libraries in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts offering a shared integrated library system and cooperative services. Comparable consortium technology model; explicit PDA partner of LOUIS.
• ASERL (Association of Southeastern Research Libraries): Regional consortium of major research libraries across the Southeast U.S., providing cooperative collection development and shared services. Comparable mission and PDA partnership with LOUIS, though skewed toward R1 institutions.
• CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois): Illinois statewide consortium of academic and research libraries offering shared ILS, electronic resources, and professional development. Closest direct analog to LOUIS at a comparable statewide scale.
• Minitex: Minnesota-based multi-state library network serving academic, public, school, and special libraries across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Comparable consortium structure with shared resource and PD programs; explicit PDA partner of LOUIS.
• NC LIVE: North Carolina's statewide library cooperative providing shared electronic resources, professional development, and library services to academic libraries. Functionally identical consortium model to LOUIS, differing only by geography.
• FLVC (Florida Virtual Campus): Florida's statewide library and academic resources consortium serving the State University System and community colleges. Operates a directly comparable library services platform and resource-sharing model; PDA partner of LOUIS.
• BLC (Boston Library Consortium): Regional consortium of academic and research libraries in the greater Boston/ New England area offering cooperative collection development and resource sharing. Comparable membership-based shared-services model; PDA partner of LOUIS.
• PASCAL (Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries): South Carolina's statewide academic library consortium providing shared electronic resources, document delivery, and professional development. Closely comparable membership model; PDA partner of LOUIS.

Broad incumbents

• OCLC: Global library cooperative providing cataloging, resource sharing (WorldCat), discovery, and managed services used by academic libraries including LOUIS members. A much larger incumbent offering overlapping ILS, discovery, and ILL capabilities.
• LYRASIS: Large multi-type library consortium and technology services organization serving libraries, archives, and museums across the U.S. with a much broader portfolio (hosting, preservation, consulting). Operates at a national scale rather than single-state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/louislibraries
• YouTubevimeo.com/louislibraries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louis-the-louisiana-library-network
• Facebookfacebook.com/louislibraries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Louisiana Library Network