Library resource sharing

1. Resource Sharing, Library
Networks and Consortia
National Conference on
Collection Management in Changing
Context: Problems and Prospects
Dr B R Ambedkar Bhavan
Kuvempu University, Shivamogga
August 19-20, 2011
Dr. Poornima Narayana
Scientist Information and Head
Information Centre for Aerospace Science and Technology
CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore

2. INFORMATION
CENTRE/ LIBRARY
LIB 1 LIB 2 LIB 3 LIB n
RESOURCE SHARING/
LIBRARY COOPERATION
LIBRARY CONSORTIUM
LAN /MAN /WAN
INTERNET
Library  Group of Libraries  Resource Sharing (Library Cooperation)  Consortium  User
Similar Discipline
Geographical Location
Broad Interest

3. Contents
Resource Sharing
• Need for Resource Sharing
• Objectives of Resource Sharing
• Areas of Resource Sharing
• Resource Sharing through Networks
• Characteristics
• Objectives
• Advantages
Networks
• Types of Networks
• Library Networks
• Important International Networks
Library Consortia
• Salient Features of Library Consortia
• Need of Library Consortia
• Purpose
• Objectives
• Major issues of consortia approach
• Consortium initiatives in India

4. Introduction
The so-called ‘Information Revolution’ has made Libraries
around the world to adopt new philosophies and
technologies for information dissemination and also reduce
the cost of information. Maintaining the dept and depths of
collection of a single greatest challenge confronting libraries,
be it, academic, special, national or public, Libraries have
realized that although they are well funded, it is difficult to
acquire all the materials needed by the clientele. In fact
partnership and cooperation in local, national and
international have become enviable for all libraries. In
achieving resource sharing/library cooperation is through
the establishment of consortium over networks.

5. Phases Of Development
• First phase: several libraries come together
for the mutual benefit of the respective users
– Library Cooperation/ Resource sharing …
• Second phase: Libraries are linked together
with the help of ICT
– Library Network
• Third phase: Libraries come together to
acquire and share e-resources
– Library Consortium

6. Resource Sharing
Resource sharing is a mode of library operation whereby
all or part of the library functions are shared in common
among several libraries, as the goal of resource sharing is
to maximize the availability of materials and services at
the minimum expense. Library resources comprise
manpower material, function, method and services.
Resource sharing encompasses information,
bibliographical and textual database, cooperative
acquisition, cataloguing, manpower, equipment,
expertise and services. Resource sharing via network
implies automation, data communication and effective
cooperation.

7. Need for Resource Sharing
 Proliferation of literature in each and every field of knowledge;
 Multiplicity of documents in different subjects, languages and
formats;
 Development of new subjects and subject specialization;
 Increase of reading community and information seekers;
 Diversity of user groups and their information needs;
 Demand of pinpointed, exhaustive and expeditious information
services;
 Increased access to information and services at existing cost;
 Access to existing information and services at less cost;
 Increase in Quantity/Cost;
 Demand for expertise and rare documents;
 Space constraint;
 Budget constraint.

8. Objectives of Resource Sharing
 Optimization of information resources through
shared cataloguing, ILL services, collection
development and avoiding duplication.
 Pooled resources can help to arrange greater
resource centers.
 Document selection.
 Provide, through cooperative acquisition by
voluntary organization, materials beyond the
reach of individual libraries.

9. Areas of Resource Sharing
 Inter-library loan
 Cooperative acquisition
 Specialized purchasing programs
 Centralized processing
 Shared Cataloguing
 Sharing of bibliographical data
 Centralized periodical collection for loan purposes
 Cooperative microfilming
 Preparation and maintenance of union catalogue and union
list of serials
 Exchange of publications
 Exchange of expertise.

10. Resource Sharing Through Networks
In the past two decades, information technology
has made significant progress. The current state of
information handling is indeed sufficient to support
and encourage the sharing of resources among
libraries. The pace of technological improvement
shows no signs of abatement and libraries will find
it rewarding to explore the realm of networking
possibilities that this new technology makes
feasible. Especially, the present decade has seen a
greatly renewed interest in library cooperation and
mutual benefits, prominently at national and
international levels.

11. Resource Sharing Through Networks
Characteristics
 Two or more libraries
with a common desire
and goals;
 Two way
communication system
for free flow of
information from one
source to another;
Objectives
 Centralize the
information processing
system; and
 Reduce communication
gap among libraries.

12. Resource Sharing Through Networks
Advantages
Bibliographic literature explosion controlling
Avoiding duplication
Improving the mobility of data
Flow of information among special
information centres

13. NUCSSI

14. Union Catalogue of CSIR-DST
Institutions

17. Networks
 A library network is broadly described as a group of
libraries coming together with some agreement of
understanding to help each other to satisfy the
information needs of their clientele.
 Alphonse F. Frezaa defines networking as:
“A formal organization among libraries for cooperating
and sharing of resources, in which the groups as a
whole is organized into subgroups with the exception
that most of the needs of a library will be satisfied
within the subgroups of which it is a member.”

18. Networks….
Objectives
 To promote and support adoption of standards in
library operations;
 To create databases for projects, specialists and
institutions to provide online information services;
 To improve the efficiency of housekeeping operations;
 To coordinate with other regional, national and
international networks for exchange of information and
documents; and
 To generate new services and to improve the efficiency
of existing ones.

19. Networks….
Advantages
 The networking of computers permits the
sharing of computing resources available at
geographically dispersed locations.
 Networking also provides stand by backup
option to its nodes.

20. Types of Networks
 Local Area Network (LAN)
 Wide Area Network (WAN)
 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
 Storage/System/Smart Area Network (SAN)

21. Library Networks
Objectives
 To provide a national platform designed to bridge the
gap among various types of libraries and establish links
among organizations, professionals and users involved
in R&D and manufacturing activities in the country;
 Establish local, regional, national and international
cooperation for exchange of information and expertise;
 Evolve and implement programmes on education of
users and training of information scientists responsible
 To build information resources, prepare union database
and to develop relevant information handling tools and
techniques;

22. Library Networks….
 Continuously assess information requirements, create and
improve necessary infrastructure including computer network
support and to provide informatics based support and
services to the specialized community of users working in
various subject areas;
 Sharing of resources and services including inter-library
lending of books, periodicals, bulletin boards, SDI service, on-
line union catalogue of books, periodicals, preprints/reprints,
document delivery, information retrieval and dissemination,
exchange of materials and requests for photocopying;
 On-line access to foreign databases, subject to the user’s
willingness to pay the costs incurred;
 Building a low cost library information system which can
possibly be used as a model for future expansion;
 Create understanding and confidence among professionals
and authorities.

23. Important International Networks
 The International Nuclear Library
Network (INLN)
 WHO Library and Information
Networks for Knowledge (LNK)
 International Association of Aquatic
& marine Science Libraries &
Information centeres (IAMSLIC)
 WorldCat of OCLC
 International Nuclear Library
Network (INLN)
 Networked Digital Library of Theses
and Dissertations (NDLTD)
 STOU (Sukothai Thammitharat Open
Univ)
 INASP
 HINARI
 AGORA
 JSTOR’s Africa Access Initiative

24. WorldCat

25. INLN/IAEA

26. AGORA

27. HINARI

28. NDLTD

29. WHO LNK

30. Indian Networks
 ADINET
 BALNET
 BONET
 BTISNET
 CALIBNET
 DELNET
 ERNET
 MALIBNET
 MYLIBNET
 NICNET
 PUNENET
 INFLIBNET

31. INFLIBNET

32. DELNET

33. ERNET

34. NICNET

35. Library Consortia
 “Consortium is cooperative arrangement of groups
with a policy of sharing resources among members.” It
is a strategic alliance of institutions having common
interest.
 According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘Consortia’
means a “temporary cooperation of a number of
powers, companies, etc., for a common purpose. It is
an association of similar types of organizations/
institutions who are engaged for producing and
servicing common things for providing services for a
specific purpose of its users.”

36. Salient features of Library Consortia
 To eliminate problems faced by libraries to provide
various services to users;
 To meet the thrust of information of people due to
rapid growth of population all over the world;
 To cope up with newly generated knowledge published
in different forms, such as printed and non-printed
documents, electronics media on various disciplines,
multi-disciplinary and new generated subject areas;
 To collect all documents published at the national and
international level, because of the library financial
crunch; and
 To overcome language barriers.

37. Need for Library Consortia
 The pressure of competition in the information market is
enhancing and compelling information providers.
 Reduce the cost of collection development.
 Provides more, better, faster and cheaper services for less money.
 Indian universities are finding it hard to maintain subscriptions to
even core journals due to ever increasing cost of the journal
subscriptions and also shrinking budgets.
 Shrinking fiscal resources, price hike in scientific and technical
journals and also social science titles.
 Recent trends and developments in the area of communication,
computer and information technology.
 Improving the quality and standard of research in Indian
universities by improving the access base of literature to them is
essential.

38. Need of Library Consortia…
 Academic and research users can now hope to have access to
their learned journal articles in electronic form as electronic
access is comparatively cheaper.
 Reduction in staff strength and cost savings for library budget.
 Able to change themselves and re-engineer their services and
operations in such a way that they meet user-expectations better
for less money.
 Rational utilization of funds of little more investment pays a lot.
 Qualitative resource sharing for effective document delivery.
 Growth in number of users, particularly in academic and research
institutions.
 Increase in user demand for quality services.
 Emerging changes in the publishing industry as most publishing is
now done in digital form.

39. Purpose
 Library Perspectives: The general perception among libraries is
that a consortium should enable libraries to purchase and provide
access to more resources than they currently have, with lesser
spending than what they currently spend and gain net savings in
current spending.
 Publisher Perspectives: Publishers look at consortia as an instant
mass-market opportunity to expand their market base in many
times both in terms of client base and revenues.
 True Perspectives: Consortia models are still in an evolving phase,
constantly affected by technological changes. Hence, consortia
development requires an open dialogue between the two parties-
libraries and publishers/vendors, in a spirit of partnership to help
their common beneficiary, the end user, whose needs and usage
alone can justify the sustenance of whatever new consortia
models that publishers can offer and libraries can adopt.

40. Objectives
 Rational utilization of funds - A little more pays a lot.
 Increase the access base - More e-journals.
 Ensure continuous subscription.
 Maximize the cost benefit per subscription.
 Examine and review national and international issues such as pricing policies and
copyright law.
 Bring pressure on commercial publishers to reduce the ‘growth rate’ in the cost of
information and to bring down the unit cost of information.
 To provide more coverage of collections and facilities to provide wider access to
users.
 To avoid duplication of resources among libraries of interest.
 Encourage access and sharing of unique and special collections which are available
in member libraries.
 Recognize few libraries, so that they can take the responsibility of developing and
maintaining collections which are of archival value.
 Develop technical capabilities of the staff in operating and using electronic
publication databases.
 Reduced information cost.

41. Functions
 Agreement for establishment of a consortium – A concrete agreement is
needed to be established for participating libraries in consortia to achieve
a common target.
 Administrative of library consortium – To run the total functions of a
consortium smoothly a statutory body is very much essential to be formed
taking chief librarian/chief information manager from every
library/information centre.
 Financial control – Whether a consortium fund be created to subscribe to
the core journals in different subjects in multiple copies at a discount rate.
 Joint Work – Prepare list of titles
Subscribe to Core titles
Prepare the union list of titles
TOC services
 Evaluation – After a certain period, the whole activities of a consortium,
(i.e., individual as well as cooperative) must be evaluated on the basis of
pre-determined objectives.

42. Major issues of Consortia approach
 Resource Identification
 Technology Infrastructure
 Pricing Issues
 Access Related Issues
 Licensing and Copyright Issues
 Archival Issues
 Sustainability Issues
 Usage and Usability Issues

43. Consortium Initiatives in India
 J-Gate / JCCC Consortium
• TOC of 500+ journals
• Links to abstract of the article
• Enables downloading
 INDEST AICTE Consortium (Indian National Digital Library in Engineering Science
and Technology) MHRD
 UGC INFONET Consortium
 CSIR-DST Consortium (NKRC)
 IIMs’ Consortium
 FORSA Consortium
 HELINET Consortium
 UGC-DAE Consortia
 ISRO LIBRARY Consortia
 ICICI KNOWLEDGE PARK
 TIFR Libraries Consortium
 ISI Library Consortia Deals
 STI NETWORK FOR RESOURCE SHARING AMONGST S&T LIBRARIES

44. CSIR-DST Consortium

45. INDEST

46. J Gate

47. JCCC

48. Information Resource Sharing Functions
 A consortium can take up following activities for
promoting information resource sharing:
 Cooperative collection development among
member libraries
 Cooperative processing of information resources
acquired through consortium
 Creation of virtual library covering all the e-
resources available in member libraries

49. Information Resource Sharing Functions
 Compilation of bibliographical and /or full-text databases of
the holdings of the member libraries, both print and non-
print
 Sharing of information resources, both traditional and
digital, of member libraries through network or document
delivery service
 Allowing reciprocal borrowing by the members of all
libraries of the consortium
 Supporting member libraries for setting institutional
repositories, e-print archives, electronic theses collection,
etc.

50. Objective Of Consortia
 Basically consortia have been created for
acquisition and sharing use of e-journals
 It is possible for the users of participating libraries
to access and/or download the required materials
remotely
 The objective of consortia can be widened to make
them efficient instruments of sharing of all types of
library resources

51. Organizational Models
A variety of organizational models of consortia
have been developed
At one end are loosely affiliated buying clubs
aiming at sharing a discounted rate of
e-journals and databases
At another end are tightly integrated
organizations sharing variety of resources

52. Organizational Models…
 Digitization of valuable and rare collections of
member libraries available in printed format and
providing access to such materials to the members
of all the libraries of the consortium
 Developing common interface to catalogues,
databases and e-collection by creating portals
 Creating inter-operability among member systems,
databases and services

53. Other Resource Sharing Functions
A consortium may also share other
resources in the following manner:
Sharing the storage facilities, thereby
minimizing expenditure on space
Pooling of expert manpower and promoting
professional development
Assist member libraries in creating IT
infrastructure

54. Other Resource Sharing Functions
Facilitating joint preservation and archiving
activities for print and digital materials
Initiating and supporting research projects of
common interest
Collectively promoting, marketing and
publicising the library services

55. Advantages of Consortium Building
 A comprehensive collection is possible
 Avoidance of duplication of non core collection
development among the participating libraries.
 Reduction in the cost of information services
 Quality of services is enhanced
 Facilitation of the use of common library system
 Promotion of best practices
 Implementation of staff skills development
programmers.

56. Challenges of Consortium Building
 Team Work
 Recognition of the value of each team member and his specialty,
respecting each member’s opinion and seeking understanding of
each others views contribute to team members feeling being
valued and part of the team
 Trust, openness and honesty
 Trust will be build over time with each of the partners delivering
their commitments. Trust will drastically cut down the cost of
running a consortium where partners constantly cross check
information from other partners constantly cross check
information from other partners to avoid being advantage of.

57. Advantages of Consortium Approach
 Libraries coming together to form consortium must make
careful choice of partners. If every member is treated fairly
then no one will need to waste time worrying money issues.
 Win-Win Approach
 All partners should receive an acceptable benefit from it
rather than working for individual short terms gains, the
benefit of the consortium as a whole is considered.
 Once the win-win is mindset is in place, the energies will be
noticeable. The contributions of all members should be
recognized and appreciated no matter how small is.

58. Mobilization Of Library Community
 In spite of the benefits of consortia approach the
library community in general in India is not actively
coming forward to adopt it
 Only a few libraries have formed consortia
voluntarily
 Some others have been induced to join consortia by
the sponsors
 A large number of libraries is still out of the ambit of
any consortium

59. Mobilization …
The main reasons of this situation are:
• Lack of awareness among the libraries and/or library
authorities about the ultimate benefits of consortia
• Conservative mentality of the library authorities with
regard to e-information resources, specially online
resources
• Unwillingness of some libraries to share their resources
• Unwillingness of some libraries to share the burden of
resource sharing i.e. serving users of libraries other
than their own

60. Mobilization …
 Uneven development of libraries of different sectors
and slow progress of library automation
 Inability of many libraries in meeting the minimum
commitment required to join a consortium due to
financial and other infrastructural constraints
 Lack of demand for resource sharing on the part of
users
 Poor bibliographical control of the holdings of the
libraries
 Lack of sufficient information resources to be
shared

61. Mobilization …
 To harness the enormous benefits of consortia it is
necessary to mobilize the library community to adopt
the method
 Govt. agencies like UGC and CSIR have come
forward to mobilize the libraries being funded by
them
 Steps should be taken to mobilize more libraries by
making them aware about the benefits of consortia
approach and removing the barriers faced by them in
this regard

62. Future for Library Consortium
To boost resource sharing activities three-
pronged approach is needed:
Strengthening and reengineering of existing
consortia to make them true vehicles of
resource sharing and not merely sharing of
e-journals
Starting new consortia and networks for
resource sharing on suitable basis
Linking of the consortia based networks to
achieve nation-wide network of libraries

63. Future…
Implementation of these steps may take
some time and face many hurdles
But once done it will be possible to have
effective nation-wide resource sharing
This will save enormous amount of money
and expedite research at all levels thereby
contributing greatly in national development
THANK YOU

64. ACKNOWELDGEMENTS
• Dr. A R Upadhya Director, NAL
• KUCLA & KSCLA Organisers
• NCCM: Organizing and Technical Committees
• Dr. B U Kannappanavar, Organising Secretary
• Dr. B S Biradar, Prof & Chair, DLIS, Kuvempu
Univ.
• ICAST/ CSIR-NAL colleagues