The IPL was founded at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Michigan SI students almost exclusively generated its content. They also managed the Ask a Question reference service.
Since January 1 2007 it is being run by the "IPL Consortium", a group of 15 colleges still including the University of Michigan, and is being hosted by Drexel University's College of Information Science and Technology. With a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Drexel intends to additionally use it as a "'technological training center' for digital librarians."