Ever Widening Circles: Managing Library Consortia, Managing Change

The networked environment has brought tremendous power and flexibility to diverse and dispersed organizations in terms of how they collaborate to share information and resources. An important manifestation of this collaboration has been the emergence of library consortia over the last decade, and much international attention in recent years has been focused on consortial licensing of electronic products, and the impact that consortia have had on transforming the information marketplace.

But in addition to transforming the marketplace, these consortia also have a transformative effect on the libraries and institutions they serve. As consortial activities move from cooperation on peripheral functions, to collaboration on core services, profound changes in organizational structures, professional roles and relationships also take place.

Canada, like many countries, boasts a variety of library consortia organizations that operate on local, regional and national levels. This presentation will highlight lessons learned from the Canadian context regarding management of library consortia, and present strategies for organizational and change management that are critical for successful consortial initiatives.

Deb deBruijn
Executive Director, Canadian National Site Licensing Project
Telephone (613) 562-5357
Fax (613) 562-5195
Email: debruijn@uottawa.ca