ROI Consortium Report

MOBIUS Consortium

Annual Return on Investment Analysis
Report Date: October 6, 2025
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Consortium Executive Summary

Total Member Investment
$5,800,918.46
Aggregate Retail Value
$11,851,321.22
Total Annual Savings
$6,050,402.76
Consortium ROI
51.1%

Shared Library Services Platform

MOBIUS operates an open-source, multi-tenant Library Services Platform (FOLIO) serving 62 academic libraries. The platform provides comprehensive services including cataloging, circulation, acquisitions, e-resource management, serials control, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), and Panorama analytics.

  • •Cataloging and Circulation Management
  • •Acquisitions and E-Resource Management
  • •Serials Control
  • •EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS)
  • •Panorama Analytics Platform
Metric Value
Member Libraries on Platform 62
Aggregate Retail Value $4,068,805.00
Aggregate Member Investment $1,697,269.56
Total Annual Savings $2,371,535.44

FOLIO Platform Consortium Impact

$2,371,535.44

Total Annual Savings Across All 62 Member Libraries

Economies of Scale

The consortium model enables members to access enterprise-level library systems at a fraction of individual procurement costs. Shared infrastructure, centralized technical support, and collective bargaining power deliver significant cost advantages while maintaining institutional autonomy and flexibility.

Resource Sharing Network

The MOBIUS consortium operates an extensive resource sharing network serving 73 academic, public, and special libraries across Missouri and contiguous states.

73
Member Libraries
24M+
Bibliographic Records
30M+
Available Items
Value Component Value
MOBIUS Transaction Cost $1.00
Traditional Interlibrary Loan Cost $25.00
Average Savings per Transaction $24.00

Managed Services

MOBIUS provides comprehensive platform management for all member institutions, including dedicated help desk support, custom development assistance, ongoing training programs, and annual user conferences.

Technical Infrastructure

Centralized system administration, vendor management, and infrastructure maintenance across the entire consortium.

Professional Development

Custom training programs, documentation, and annual conferences supporting continuous staff development.

E-Resource Licensing

MOBIUS provides group licensing for over 400 major electronic resources. No service fees are charged, with 100% of negotiated savings passed directly to participating members. The consortium leverages collective purchasing power to secure substantial discounts unavailable to individual institutions.

Collection Titles Participating Libraries
eMO eBook Collection 356,119 57
Overdrive Audiobook/eBook Collection 27,242 42
Consortium-Licensed Databases 400+ Varies by Resource
Financial Summary Amount
Aggregate Retail Value $7,782,516.22
Aggregate Member Investment $4,103,648.90
Total Annual Savings $3,678,867.32

Consortium Value Proposition

Collective Purchasing Power

Aggregate demand enables negotiation of substantial discounts unavailable to individual institutions.

Shared Infrastructure

Distributed costs for technical systems, support staff, and operational overhead across all members.

Enhanced Resource Access

Extensive resource sharing network with 30 million items accessible at minimal transaction costs.

Strategic Flexibility

Open-source architecture and collaborative governance ensure adaptability and community-driven development.

E-Resource Consortium Impact

$3,678,867.32

Total E-Resource Savings Across All Member Libraries

Total Consortium Annual Savings

$6,050,402.76

Aggregate Value Delivered Across All Member Institutions

Conclusion: The MOBIUS consortium model demonstrates substantial value through economies of scale, operational efficiency, and collaborative resource sharing. By pooling resources and negotiating collectively, member institutions access enterprise-level systems and extensive digital collections while maintaining financial sustainability and institutional autonomy. The consortium's open-source approach ensures long-term flexibility and community-driven innovation.
Methodology: Consortium savings represent aggregate differences between retail pricing and member assessment costs across all participating institutions. Retail prices reflect standard commercial rates for equivalent services from individual vendors. Average ROI calculated as mean return across all member institutions. For questions regarding this analysis or MOBIUS services, please contact the MOBIUS office at (573) 882-8080 or visit www.mobiusconsortium.org.