SLC provides daily delivery (Monday-Friday) to all of its member libraries so that materials are available quickly to patrons. Over 1 million items move through the delivery system each year. SLC is also a delivery point for the statewide RIDES delivery system so that patrons are able to borrow materials from libraries all over the state of Michigan.

Buying library materials as a group allows member libraries to receive discounts with book and audiovisual material vendors greater than most of them could manage individually. This enables the local library to purchase more materials with its tax dollars. The Michigan Cooperative Directors Association handles the coordination of the proposals from vendors.

Many member libraries have special collections of books and other materials. Included are St. Clair Shores and Mt. Clemens Public Library’s Michigan Collections, Romeo District Library’s extensive DVD collection, and Sterling Heights Public Library’s  International Language Collection, CD-ROM collections and Troy Public Library’s business collection.

SVA (Sirsi Voice Automation) is the Suburban Library Cooperative’s automated telephone notification system. It is an interactive voice messaging system that allows library patrons to call in and renew materials, list the items that are checked out on the patron’s card, find out library fines, and cancel holds for materials that are available for pickup. SVA will call patrons that have overdue materials to remind them to return these items, thus stopping the accumulation of fines, as well as call to let patrons know that they have available holds. Patrons must have a valid library card from one of the Cooperative’s participating libraries and a PIN. These may be obtained at the library circulation desk.

The Suburban Library Cooperative provides access to the Internet through computers at each of the participating libraries through a Comcast Business Connection.