1. Home
  2. Knowledge Base
  3. Library Director Survival Guide
  4. 04. Resource Sharing
  5. Resource Sharing: Or, The Library Is More Than These Four Walls?

Resource Sharing: Or, The Library Is More Than These Four Walls?

Resource sharing comprises the activities that result from an agreement, formal or informal, among a group of libraries (usually a consortium or network) to share collections, data, facilities, personnel, etc., for the benefit of their users and to reduce the expense of collection development.

One form of resource sharing between libraries is Interlibrary Loan (ILL), which depends on the maintenance of union catalogs. The largest interlibrary loan network in the world is maintained by OCLC, which uses the WorldCat database as its union catalog. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) has developed an Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States (2008).

ShareIdaho is a system for resource sharing among Idaho libraries to build their capacity to provide access to information to their communities via cataloging, interlibrary loan, and metadata services. The Idaho Commission for Libraries pays for over 40 percent of the statewide group services agreement with OCLC. The remaining portion is paid by participating libraries based on the type and size of library, and
subscription option they choose. By pooling their resources, ShareIdaho member libraries help one another to reduce the expense to member libraries for providing interlibrary loan services. The ShareIdaho Interlibrary Loan Referral Management Center is a complimentary service offered by the ICfL to smaller libraries anticipating doing a low volume of interlibrary loans (approximately 40 or fewer per year), but who still wish to make this service available to their patrons.

LiLI.org is the gateway for Idaho residents for free access to online tools for their educational, business, and recreational needs. The LiLI databases provide easy online access to the full text of thousands of magazines, professional journals, reference materials, and newspapers. Also included are databases for personal and professional development, including auto repair, reader advisory, health information, language learning, genealogy, scholarly research, computer and software literacy, practice tests for college and occupational entrance exams, and much, much more!

Idaho Digital E-Book Alliance (IDEA) is a statewide partnership between the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), public libraries, and school libraries with the goal of expanding access while reducing barriers to digital e-books and e-audio content via OverDrive.

Need Support?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with an ICfL consultant for assistance.
Contact Us
Go to Top