The Puget Sound Educational Consortium went beyond the typical school/university partnership by endeavoring to change both the university and the schools. Such partnerships succeed when structures emanate from productive activities. Forging a culture of collaboration means creating a vision, developing opportunities for leadership and learning,…

In Portland, an Oregon state commission wants to create a federation of public and private institutions to meet local demand through better coordination. The effort may involve having some institutions refocus curricula to social and economic issues facing the community, seeking less state and more private funds, and joint faculty hiring. (MSE)

Describes the College Consortium for International Studies, a consortium offering overseas study opportunities for U.S. students in 18 foreign countries. Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of the consortial approach; how consortial membership works; and overcoming prejudice, inertia, and other obstacles. (DMM)

Presents a statement by the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) that addresses concerns about the current electronic information environment, the desired environment for the future, and the preferred practices for library consortia and their member libraries for the selection and purchase of electronic information. (LRW)

Bell Atlantic Corporation offers an associate degree in applied science (telecommunications) to its employees through a consortium of community colleges. The NEXT STEP program has become a creative partnership of education, labor, and industry. (SK)

A number of college and university consortia have embarked on international educational cooperation ventures, providing valuable experiences and benefits for faculty, students, alumni, and the community. For these programs to be effective, they must have high-level institutional support, equal opportunities to participate, effective marketing and…

Discusses a job fair held by Collegiate Employ-Net, a consortium of colleges and universities in Ohio and Michigan. Explains the benefits of 15 institutions of higher education working together, as well as the weaknesses of the collaboration. The consortium holds an annual job fair and has expanded its services to include additional methods of…

Explores library consortia in the United States with particular focus on academic libraries. Highlights include the history of early consortia; economic issues, including sharing resources and cost savings; types of consortia, including regional, statewide, and those with a focus on automation; and groups of consortia. (Author/LRW)

Describes the development of resource sharing through interlibrary loan among Orbis libraries, a consortium of institutions of higher education in the Northwest. Highlights include the Pacific Northwest Bibliographic Center (PNBC), Oregon Regional Union List of Serials (ORULS), shared electronic catalogs, OhioLINK, and OCLC interlibrary loan…

Explores the possibility of using Web contact center software to offer reference assistance to remote users. Discusses a project by the Metropolitan Cooperative Library System/Santiago Library System consortium to test contact center software and to develop a virtual reference network. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of efforts in Canada to support print disabled users focuses on the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Library's national network (VISUNET: CANADA) that supports the premise of a virtual library. Describes international collaborative efforts among libraries to better serve print disabled users. (LRW)

Reports on ongoing development of the University of the Arctic--a network of institutions of higher education in eight polar countries--in the context of the changing nature of distance education in Canada. Discusses Canadian access to telelearning, institutions of virtual education, related research and supportive organizations, and course…

The advent of online journals, bundled packages, and consortial "big deals" means that librarians have to work harder than ever when budget shortfalls require cutting serials. This article recounts the experience of the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library in its journal cancellation project of 2002.

The Alaska Human Resources Investment Council developed a blueprint to guide a system that is needs-driven, accessible, interconnected, accountable, sustainable, and has collaborative governance. Vocational Technical Education Providers (VTEP) representing secondary education, technical schools, proprietary institutions, the University of Alaska,…

Initiating a consulting model for librarianship in a small college library involved a transition to an organizational model that defines positions by their relationship to constituencies. As a case study of such a transformation demonstrates, such an ''outward'' looking organization has resulted in an increased number of instruction sessions,…