Since its humble beginning, Digital Past, a centralized local history digitization initiative at the North Suburban Library System (NSLS), a multitype consortium in Wheeling, Illinois, has now grown into a large centralized collaboration that consists of 32 libraries and a museum as its primary contributors. With Digital Past, there are various…

Discussion of Illinois experiences in library cooperation and computerization (OCLC, Library Computer System, LIBRAS) describes use of library materials, benefits and drawbacks of online networking, experiences at Lake Forest College (Illinois), and six tasks recommended for small academic libraries as preparation for major changes toward…

Reports on a study conducted by the Northern Illinois Learning Resources Cooperative to determine requirements and develop recommendations for a statewide library telecommunications network. Covers the results of a statewide needs assessment, the current status of library and educational telecommunications, trends, functional design criteria, and…

Discussion of resource sharing and interlibrary loans in Illinois libraries focuses on patron-initiated interlibrary loans. The implementation of a patron-initiated service in the Lincoln Trail Libraries System Automation Consortium is described; results are discussed; and a shift in lending and borrowing patterns is examined. (LRW)

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…