Provides a brief history of library cooperation in America, with emphasis on the latter half of the 20th century. Identifies motives for library cooperation, potential obstacles and keys to success, as well as a nexus between service quality improvement and library cooperation. Describes the role of library consortia in the current electronic…

Describes the experiences of two health sciences libraries, at East Carolina University and at the University of Virginia, in developing electronic collections. Highlights include full-text, Web-based resources; licensing issues; joint access to electronic resources through consortia; collection development policies; and an electronic resource…

Explains why school libraries need to share resources and describes a number of projects that share physical, intellectual, and digital resources. Highlights include district union catalogs and integrated systems; consortia and community catalogs with public libraries; statewide union catalogs; statewide integrated systems; gateways; and statewide…

In 1989, the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) introduced a microcomputer-based evaluation tool called the Collection Analysis CD. In 1993, the SUNY Stony Brook Libraries used this tool to measure its collections against those of 27 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) peer libraries and of a "mythical" peer group. In 1996, the…

Voluntary interinstitutional cooperation is examined as a method of overcoming the financial constraints of retrenchment. Findings from 37 case studies on the costs and benefits of various cooperative programs are summarized. The programs reflect both the complexity and variety of interreliance that has evolved among American institutions. It is…

The Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) is studying the problems and possibilities of networking, with the Ohio College Library Center (OCLC) as a model and possible data base for the MLC. Standards on an international scale must be developed, and the need for constantly improving technology, particularly computers, must be recognized. Since the…

In 1973, 180 independent two-year colleges with membership in the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) were surveyed to determine the extent of cooperative arrangements. Forty-five colleges (25 percent) reported 207 programs of interinstitutional cooperation. In a second survey of state directors of public two-year…

Describes the operations of Winthrop College Library, Rock Hill, South Carolina, to illustrate the impact of the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) on southeastern libraries. The effect of automation on staff requirements of the technical and public services divisions is highlighted. (EJS)

Focus among library consortia is shifting from integrated library systems to digital library projects, resource sharing, collective database licensing, multivendors, and document delivery. This article presents a draft of a strategic plan for Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries consortia; it includes discussion of CARL's mission, vision, and…

This section includes lists of networks, consortia, and other cooperative library organizations; national associations in the United States and Canada; state, provincial, and regional associations and agencies; state school library media associations; state supervisors of school library media services; international library associations; and…

Describes a cooperative effort among five Bronx libraries, known as the Bronx Library Emergency Consortium, which is designed to enhance emergency recovery procedures in their libraries should a disaster occur. The history and collaborative nature of the consortium are described, and the consortium equipment and supply list for immediate disaster…

Describes CETUS (Consortium for Educational Technology for University Systems), a partnership among the libraries of California State University, City University of New York, and State University of New York. Topics include changing roles of library staffs, ownership and fair use of copyrights, acquisition and access, and distance learning. (LRW)

As the purchase of virtual resources accelerates, particularly through consortial agreements, the autonomy of the local library will fade and the roles of librarians will change drastically. This rapid transformation is illustrated by a discussion of OhioLINK and its positive and negative effects on one member library. (Contains 21 references.)…

This publication summarizes the history and evolution of the Group Plan of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of six small independent colleges in southern California. The Claremont Colleges include Pomona College; Harvey Mudd College; Scripps College; Pitzer College; Claremont McKenna College; and Claremont Graduate School. The Group Plan, the…

Speeches and summaries of group discussions from California's first statewide conference on health science library consortia are presented. An introduction outlining regional, state, and national cooperation among biomedical libraries and brief welcoming addresses precede three talks on the history and development in California of library…