Eastern Shores Library System
The Eastern Shores Library System (ESLS) was one of 17 public library systems in Wisconsin. Founded in 1987, it had 13 member libraries, with five in Ozaukee County and eight located in Sheboygan County, in addition to a bookmobile. Sheboygan's Mead Public Library served as the resource library for the system. The last director of ESLS was Amy Birtell.
ESLS covered 741 square miles (1,920 km2), serving over 191,000 people. All thirteen libraries use the integrated library system provided by Polaris Library Systems, with the system's online catalog known as "EasiCat" (for "Eastern Shores Information Catalog"). All residents of Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties may use the services provided by Eastern Shores and its member libraries.
In 2017, Eastern Shores Library System merged with Mid-Wisconsin Library System to form Monarch Library System. The new system serves Dodge, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Washington Counties.
Mission
"The Eastern Shores Library System is established as a federation of public libraries which has as its mission: to improve and extend public library service to all residents of the library system."[1]
Services
In 2001, ESLS initiated EasiCat, an "online shared automated catalog of all of the items owned by all of the libraries and the bookmobile."[2] Customers can view items, place holds on them, and have them delivered to the library of their choice. EasiCat can be used in any of the libraries, as well as on any computer with Internet access.
ESLS provides a van delivery service that allows patrons to return books and other materials to any member library. In 2005, the van delivered approximately 655,132 items among 17 libraries, 5 days a week. It also makes stops at Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution and Lakeland University.
Many of the items are those requested through Interlibrary loan. Eastern Shores also has reciprocal agreements with other Wisconsin public library systems, allowing users to check out materials while on vacation.
Eastern Shores operates a Bookmobile that serves many of the communities in Ozaukee and Sheboygan Counties without libraries and promotes future library use for customers. It primarily provides "popular and reading readiness materials in various formats" but also provides some reference and programming materials.[3]
System member libraries
Ozaukee County
- Cedarburg
- Saukville (Oscar Grady)
- Grafton (U.S.S. Liberty Memorial)
- Mequon-Thiensville (Frank L. Weyenberg)
- Port Washington (W.J. Niederkorn)
Sheboygan County