1. The Core Concepts: An Evolutionary Perspective
Library co-operation, resource sharing, and networking are interrelated concepts that represent the evolution of how libraries work together to serve their users more effectively. The progression generally moves from informal co-operation to more structured, technology-driven networking and consortia.
Library Co-operation: This is the foundational and broadest term, describing a scenario where two or more libraries work together to achieve their goals. Early forms of co-operation included informal inter-lending and the creation of union lists to know about each other's resources. It is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of joint processes and mechanisms.
Resource Sharing: This is a more evolved and systematic form of co-operation. It is defined as the "reciprocally beneficial sharing of resources, developed or pre-existing, by two or more bodies". The concept presumes a group of users putting demands on libraries, making sharing a necessity. The resources shared include not only physical documents but also staff expertise, infrastructure, and finances. The primary driver behind resource sharing has been the inability of any single library to be self-sufficient.
Library Networking: This represents the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to enable and enhance resource sharing. A library network is a group of interconnected libraries and information centres that have a formal agreement to pool their resources and offer better services to users. The development of computers and telecommunication networks overcame the primary barriers of geographical distance and time that limited the effectiveness of earlier co-operative efforts. Networks are IT-driven, have a well-defined administrative structure, and are established to accomplish specific goals.
Library Consortia: This is a modern, formal type of co-operation, often functioning as a "buying club" for the joint purchase of electronic resources like e-journals and databases. Consortia leverage the collective strength of their members to negotiate better prices and licensing terms with publishers, which individual libraries could not achieve alone.
2. The Need for and Objectives of Resource Sharing
Libraries do not exist in isolation and are driven to co-operate by a number of powerful external and internal pressures.
2.1 The Need for Co-operation and Sharing
- Information Explosion: The rate of document production has increased so much that it is often termed an "explosion". No single library can acquire all the documents its users may require.
- Rising Costs of Publications: The prices of documents, especially scholarly periodicals, have been increasing steadily, often at a rate higher than inflation. This, combined with shrinking or static library budgets, severely affects the purchasing power of libraries.
- Specialised User Demands: Users are now more demanding and engaged in specialised jobs, requiring access to a wide variety of information in different formats.
- Space Limitations: The increasing number of physical documents creates a demand for more storage space, which is a major limitation for most libraries.
- Availability of Technology: The development of ICT has made networking and large-scale resource sharing feasible and efficient, overcoming previous barriers of distance and time.
2.2 Objectives of Resource Sharing
The primary objectives of engaging in resource sharing and networking are:
- To Maximise the Resource Base: The main goal is to give users access to the combined resources of all participating libraries, effectively making the resources of every library available to all.
- To Provide Democratic and Wide Access to Information: In an age where information is a vital commodity, resource sharing ensures that users are not deprived of the information they need for learning, research, and decision-making.
- To Enable Rational Acquisition and Collection Development: Co-operation allows libraries to avoid unnecessary duplication of resources, especially costly or rarely used ones. This saves money and allows funds to be used to build stronger, more comprehensive collective collections.
- To Save Resources: By sharing tasks like cataloguing and processing, libraries can save on staff time, effort, and salaries. Joint purchasing through consortia also saves significant money on subscriptions.
- To Promote Uniform Practices: Co-operation necessitates the use of common standards and protocols for tasks like cataloguing (e.g., MARC 21) and communication (e.g., Z39.50), which benefits both staff and users.
3. Key Areas and Activities of Library Co-operation
Library co-operation manifests in several key activities, many of which are now facilitated by automated systems and networks.
Inter-Library Loan (ILL): This is a traditional and fundamental form of co-operation where one library borrows a document from another on behalf of its user. Modern networks have automated this process through systems like OCLC's ILLiad and the National Library of Medicine's DOCLINE, making it more efficient.
Cooperative and Shared Cataloguing: This activity aims to reduce the duplication of cataloguing effort by allowing libraries to share bibliographic records.
- Pioneered by the Library of Congress with its card distribution service, this concept has been fully realised in large bibliographic utilities like OCLC.
- Libraries can download standardised records (often in MARC format) for books they acquire, saving significant time and ensuring consistency.
Creation of Union Catalogues: A union catalogue is a combined catalogue that lists the holdings of a group of co-operating libraries. It is the primary tool for locating materials for inter-library loan.
- OCLC's WorldCat is the world's largest union catalogue, with billions of holdings from tens of thousands of member libraries.
- In India, DELNET maintains a large online union catalogue of books and periodicals, and INFLIBNET maintains databases of serials, theses, and books from university libraries.
Consortia-based Subscription to E-Resources: This is a defining activity of modern library co-operation.
- Library consortia act as intermediaries between publishers and member libraries to negotiate joint purchases of e-journals and databases at concessional rates. *. They connect libraries through telecommunication links, allowing them to share resources and services efficiently.
4.1 Library Networks in India
The development of library networks in India was significantly promoted by national bodies like the National Information System for Science and Technology (NISSAT) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
INFLIBNET (Information and Library Network): Established by the UGC in 1988, INFLIBNET is a national network connecting libraries in universities, colleges, and R&D institutions. Its objectives are to modernise libraries, promote resource sharing, and improve information access for academics and researchers.
- Key Services: It provides document delivery, develops the SOUL library automation software, creates union catalogues of books and theses, and runs the Shodhganga repository for Indian theses.
- UGC-INFONET: A major INFLIBNET initiative that provides member universities with access to thousands of e-journals and bibliographic databases through a centrally-funded consortium.
DELNET (Developing Library Network): Initially established as the Delhi Library Network in 1988 with NISSAT's support, it has expanded its scope and is now the Developing Library Network. It is a major resource-sharing network with thousands of member libraries in India and abroad.
- Key Services: It provides access to several online union catalogues (books, periodicals, theses), offers inter-library loan and reference services, and conducts training programmes on standards like MARC 21.
Metropolitan Area Networks: NISSAT also sponsored the creation of several city-based networks in the 1980s and 1990s, such as CALIBNET (Kolkata), ADINET (Ahmedabad), and BONET (Mumbai), to promote local resource sharing. While many are no longer active, DELNET is a successful example that grew beyond its metropolitan origins.
4.2 International Library Networks
OCLC (Online Computer Library Center): Founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, OCLC is now the world's largest library network, with over 25,900 member libraries in 170 countries.
- WorldCat: Its flagship product is the WorldCat, a massive online union catalogue that serves as the foundation for its shared cataloguing and resource-sharing services.
- Services: OCLC offers a wide range of services including cooperative cataloguing, inter-library loan management (ILLiad), and online database access through its FirstSearch service.
RLG (Research Libraries Group): Founded in 1974 by major US research libraries, RLG was another significant bibliographic utility that provided innovative services for information discovery. It merged with OCLC in 2006, and its programmes now continue under the OCLC Research Library Partnership.