Tana Elias has more than three decades of experience at the Madison Public Library. After one year in the role, she’s “just settling in” to the position as Director of the MPL.

Elias sits down with Madison Book Beat host David Ahrens for a conversation about the history, funding, services and evolution of the Madison Public Library system, which has nine libraries in the city, operates the mobile Dreambus service, and is now building an “Imagination Center” on the north side.

Elias and Ahrens also take up the changing role of libraries in the digital age. Contrary to the notion of a library dealing in books only, today’s Madison Public Libraries function as a community hub and resource — giving everything from seeds to art to yes, digital and physical books to the community.

They also discuss the threat of losing federal funding, and the significant milestone for MPL coming up this year: 150 years of service.