The goal of having a robust discovery system is a priority of the libraries the authors serve (both work at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities). Given the current fiscal situation facing public higher education in their state, the current commercial systems were not affordable for most of their libraries. They decided to implement and…

The technology of the 21st century has had no shortage of challenges for libraries, but it has also brought opportunities. Operating systems, databases, and application environments that can use cheap off-the-shelf hardware to scale and handle hundreds of millions of transactions were not developed for libraries. However, libraries have taken…

Resource sharing through a consortium of libraries in the Pacific islands is proposed as a practical means of meeting the needs of the Trust Territory for information for social and economic development. Not only is the cost of library materials going up at inflationary rates, but the population in the Trust Territory is becoming more educated,…

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…

The results of the first attempt at a comprehensive survey to identify and document interlibrary cooperation activities in each of the 50 states and United States territories are reported. Compiled by the Interlibrary Cooperation Subcommittee of the Association of State Library Agencies, the report is arranged by state and territory. It contains…

Presents a view of interlibrary cooperation as practiced, discussing the organizational components of successful cooperation, the history and current state of cooperation, and the future of cooperation in American libraries. Uses as one example, OhioLINK, a statewide consortium of academic libraries designed to move materials between Ohio…