About

Organization

Resource Sharing Alliance or RSA, is a consortium formed in the early 1980’s by libraries in central and west central Illinois to share a common library automation system. As of 1 July 2024, RSA is an Illinois Intergovernmental Instrumentality (municipal instrumentality). RSA facilitates sharing of materials among its member libraries, providing patrons with access to materials from 176 different library branches. RSA covers over 13,500 square miles of Illinois. RSA partners with Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) to provide a support staff of 11 full time professionals.

Executive Summary

Number of Members: 135
Total Count of Member Buildings: 175
Public Libraries: 96 + Branches: 19
School Libraries: 34 + Branches: 21
Academic Libraries: 3
Special Libraries: 2

RSA Public Library Population Served Counts:
Under 2,000 served: 34 (smallest library serves 596 people)
2,001 to 4,000 served: 25
4,001 to 10,000 served: 21
10,001+ served: 16 (largest library serves 113,150 people)

RSA Non-Public Library Student Enrollment or User Counts:
1 to 200 students: 10 (smallest enrollment: 107)
201 to 500 students: 14
501 to 1,000 students: 11
1,001+ students: 4 (largest enrollment: 1,519)

RSA NFP Statistical Data for 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024
Note: includes data from all 142 members of RSA NFP as of 30 June 2024.

Number of Titles in System: 1,066,626
Number of Items in System: 4,277,018
Number of Patrons in System: 301,087

Annual Circulation: 5,337,785
Number of holds successfully filled for patrons: 569,144
Circulation of items transited between libraries: 633,909
Number of items transited between RSA member libraries to fill patron holds: 407,230
Reciprocal patron checkouts (patron checkouts in libraries other than their own): 682,501