“Library Networks, Cooperatives, and Consortia:
A Definitional Study and Survey”
Use the Searchable Database LNCC Final Report, Released December 3, 2007
Libraries and library organizations in the United States, as well as national, state, and regional policy planners are forced to rely upon outdated information about library cooperatives and networks due to a lack of valid definitions and inadequate data collection methods for these collaborative organizations. To rectify this problem, the American Library Association (ALA), Office for Research and Statistics, and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of ALA, will develop definitions for and classifications of library cooperatives.
Researchers will administer two online surveys of this group – the first to develop a universe file of library cooperatives and the second to solicit input on major policy questions. The final products of these surveys will include a web-based directory of library cooperatives, an online report generator, slide presentations about the project and outcomes, and a final written report including success stories.
This research project will result in a clear and current understanding of how library networks and cooperatives operate, and the many ways in which these collaborative organizations help to advance learning communities. All resources developed during the course of the project will be freely available from the ALA website. Primary response data, that information collected to populate the online directory or the report generator, also will be available for further use upon request.
The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will provide on-going support, encouraging participants from the base study to regularly update their directory information and the data derived from the surveys. Updating is expected to occur biennially, and will be facilitated by a web-based form.
This project is funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and is coordinated by the ALA Office for Research & Statistics (ORS) in collaboration with the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA).
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