Purpose: Due to the current financial and managerial difficulties that are encountered by libraries in public universities in Jordan and the geographical diffusion of these academic institutions, the idea of establishing a consortium was proposed by the Council of Higher Education to combine these libraries. This article reviews the reality of…

During the last two decades many Hungarian libraries have developed considerably, beyond what was considered possible prior to 1989 and the beginning of events signaling the end of Communism in the country. Some of the modernization of library services has been realized through participation in cooperative agreements. Many smaller and larger…

Surveys library directors in the Ontario Council of University Libraries consortium regarding weeding, last copy print archiving, and the role of the consortium. Responses reveal divergent opinions but an answer lies in partnerships. Cost remains an over-riding factor and the uncertainty of future budgets make commitment to long-term planning…

The Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS) was created in 2001 with only a few members subscribed to nine e-journal collections and bibliographic databases. This Turkish library consortium had developed from one state and three private universities joining together for the purchase of two databases in 1999. Over time, the numbers of…

The focus of this paper is to examine the current library practice of processing and delivering information and to introduce alternative scenarios that may keep librarians relevant in the technological era. In the scenarios presented here, the authors will attempt to challenge basic assumptions about the usefulness of and need for OPAC systems,…

We present the results of a survey on the use of electronic journals by the academic staff of the universities belonging to the Consortium of Academic Libraries of Catalonia (CBUC). The results show that a high proportion of teaching and research staff are aware of the collection of electronic journals and that there is an increasing preference…

This article highlights the birth and current benefits of a partnership between Keene State College and Keene Public Library. It is a smaller one-on-one partnership that represents a rarer model than that of consortia and joint-use library partnerships. The authors offer additional ideas for partnering with local community groups in order to…

From a core values perspective, this article, following the PATOP critical thinking framework, examines the effectiveness of the Taiwan e-book Net (TEBNET). To improve alignment between core values and processes is central to the effective operation of TEBNET. Key elements in ensuring such an alignment have emerged for a new PATOP model for…

Faculty were asked how important for their students the Association of College and Research Libraries' "Information Literacy Competency Standards'" outcomes are, and when students should display the relevant skills. Faculty believe most of the "Standards'" outcomes are important but show little agreement on when students should acquire them.

Seven academic libraries have developed a collection-sharing program. Internal activities, the exchange of information, and group decision-making techniques are detailed and evaluated. Some by-products are described, and a general statement of system value is made. (Author/JAB)

Although the current focus of library consortia has been their role as buying clubs, technology has opened up other important roles as well. One of these is a radical reassessment of physical resource sharing--increasing the ease, speed, popularity, and cost efficiency of the traditional interlibrary loan function. A case study of patron-initiated…

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)

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,…

What is the impact of an academic library consortium on the perceptions of library services experienced by users of the member institutions' libraries? What is the impact of an academic library consortium on the perceptions of library services experienced by users of the member institutions libraries? In 2002 and 2003, OhioLINK (Ohio's consortium…

The director of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) provides historical perspective on CRL's development and discusses issues that have triggered debate on its objectives, programs, fees, and membership categories. Reactions to CRL by seven directors of research libraries, both members and nonmembers of CRL, are presented. (EJS)