Idaho’s Library Networks & Consortia

In the late 1970s, the Directors of the Boise, Caldwell, Nampa and Twin Falls libraries joined together to share the costs of an automated circulation system. In 1995, when growth necessitated a change, a contract was signed to purchase a new Dynix integrated online catalog system and the LYNX! Consortium came online in March 1996. During this migration, the method of communication by the libraries to the online catalog system was changed from direct phone lines to local area networks within each library attached to frame relay links. Access to the Internet was also added at this time.

In August of 1996, the Meridian Library District was the first new library to be accepted for membership and came online in February, 1997. Two more libraries, Eagle and Garden City, applied for and were accepted for membership in the fall of 1998. Ada Community Library and Hailey Public Library were both accepted for membership in early 1999, bringing the total number of libraries in the Consortium to the current nine.

Over the years the member libraries have grown and together kept pace with the vast changes in technology. LYNX! Consortium is currently in the process of migration to the SirsiDynix Horizon ILS product with a target release in late spring 2006. ILS costs continue to be equitably shared between the members.

LYNX! operates under an open access agreement; libraries agree to provide lending services to the patrons of each Library as if the patron requesting lending services in a Library were a resident of the jurisdiction in which the patron is seeking lending services and compensation agreements are in place where one Library regularly provides more than 10% of its total lending to patrons of another’s jurisdiction. Materials are shared between member libraries. Members also have an option to participate in shared courier service which facilitates transfer of materials between libraries. The current LYNX! Consortium works together in ways that go beyond simply a shared ILS. For the past few years, LYNX! members have worked together to coordinate summer reading and other youth services programming and are regularly examining other resource sharing opportunities to benefit our communities.

In FY2005, LYNX! Consortium combined holdings totaled 1,143,538. Members circulated 4,198,867 items, and 766,902 items moved between the seven member libraries participating in courier service.

Libraries interested in more information about Consortium activities or in joining the LYNX! Consortium are invited to contact one of the representatives listed below.

Member Libraries