Service will resume once the Maine State Library finalizes negotiations with a new provider
Ellsworth – 4 June 2024, The Ellsworth Public Library regrets to inform its patrons that the library is
temporarily unable to request books from other libraries within the state. The current van delivery
contract, which has facilitated the transfer of books between libraries, is set to expire on June 30.
The contract for the book delivery service is held by the Maine State Library and was required to
go through a competitive bidding process (RFP) this year. Unfortunately, until the State Library
finalizes negotiations with a new delivery provider, the Ellsworth Public Library cannot fulfill
interlibrary loan (ILL) requests.
Patrons will still be able to request, and place holds on the 46,000 in-house items at the Ellsworth
Public Library. All items that were previously requested from other libraries and are already on
hold at the Ellsworth Public Library can be checked but need to be returned no later than June
22.
In anticipation of this interruption, the Maine InfoNet Board and the Minerva Executive Board
have made the difficult decision to turn off all requests between libraries within the MaineCat
environment, including Minerva, MILS, and URSUS, as of today, June 4. The services might be on
pause until later in August.
The Ellsworth Public Library understands this may cause inconvenience and frustration, and the
library team appreciates your understanding and patience during this period. For more
information and answers to common questions, please visit the FAQ section provided by the
Maine State Library: Van Delivery FAQ or ask the library staff for assistance.
About the Ellsworth Public Library: Ellsworth’s historic Tisdale House has been home to the
Ellsworth Public Library since 1897. The library hosts a collection of more than 46,000 in-house
items, including books, large print books, audiobooks, movies, music CDs, and its growing Library
of Things. In 2023, the library ran 470 programs for all ages. Patrons have access to over 8 million
items from 63 libraries statewide as well as subscriptions to 50 print publications and online
access to streaming and download services as well as to the New York Times. An EPL library card
also gives its holder access to free passes to many renowned Down East museums:
www.ellsworthlibrary.net
Contact: Berit Becker – Communications Director – Ellsworth Public Library
bbecker@ellsworthlibrary.net – (207)-667-6363
