State Library of Iowa

Letter of Agreement for Current Participants

Enrollment Period: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026

Please review the below information that outlines expectations for participation in the Bridges consortium. To sign the agreement, click "Next" in the lower right corner of the screen and enter your information on the next screen.

Important Dates:

• March 31, 2025: Deadline for receipt of signed Letter of Agreement at State Library of Iowa
• Within 90 days receipt of invoice: Deadline for receipt of payment. Library will be invoiced in July.

Member Library Responsibilities:

• The Library agrees to continue its participation in the Bridges Overdrive eAudiobook / eBook Consortium for a twelve-month period beginning July 1, 2025 extending through June 30, 2026.

• Signing and returning this Letter of Agreement, along with payment of fees makes the Library eligible to continue participation in the Bridges Consortium. Nonpayment will result in suspension of patron access.

• The annual Consortium fee for public libraries for downloadable audiobooks and eBooks is calculated as follows: a $300.00 base for each library, plus $0.24 per capita based on the city population in which the library is located. Per capita numbers are based on population figures from the 2020 Census certified by the Iowa Secretary of State's office. FY26 fees are now available at https://silo.knack.com/directory#bridges-fees/​.

• A library may pay an amount in addition to their annual fee as an extraordinary contribution to the development of the collection. A Library that pays an amount in excess of that Library's annual fee will have the option of selecting additional content of their own choice up to the amount of the extra fee they have contributed. Any content so purchased will be the property of the Consortium as a whole and will be accessible by all Consortium members. An extraordinary contribution may be made at any time during the fiscal year.

• A library agrees to adhere to access, circulation, and collection policies determined jointly by the Bridges Consortium and by eligible group participants.

• The Library agrees to make this service available only to residents of its own city, rural residents of its own county, and/or residents of contracting cities. Open Access customers are not eligible for this service. The Library agrees to cooperate with the Bridges Consortium in a good faith effort toward this goal.

• With the above goal in mind, the Library is asked to make reasonable distinctions between eligible and ineligble patrons (ineligible meaning Open Access or out of state patrons) and agrees to work with the Bridges Management Team in this effort.

• The Library agrees to provide first-level technical support to their patrons, understanding that State Library of Iowa acts as back-up support for the Library. In providing first-level technical support, the Library agrees that it will not publish or distribute contact names, emails, or phone numbers of State Library of Iowa staff to local patrons.

• The Library understands that if the Library withdraws, the content remains the property of the Bridges Consortium.

State Library of Iowa Responsibilities:

• State Library of Iowa will manage the Consortium in partnership with Overdrive on behalf of the participants of the Consortium.
   
• State Library of Iowa will act as the fiscal agent for the Consortium.
   
• State Library of Iowa will continue to provide authentication services to member Libraries who choose not to authenticate through their own ILS system.
   
• State Library of Iowa will work with selectors comprised of member libraries to ensure a quality collection.
   
• State Library of Iowa will help promote the service, as well as provide consulting and training to member libraries in helping them effectively use the service.

If you agree to the terms, click "Next" and enter your information on the next screen to sign the Agreement.

Sign the Agreement

Enter the information below for your library and click "Submit' to sign the agreement. After submission, there will be an option to download a PDF of the signed agreement for your records.

Thank you for your participation in Bridges!