Re: public library consortia

[bellb@opl.on.ca (Brian Bell)]

Hello.  In the Province of Ontario, Canada, with strong support from the
Ontario Library Association, we have recently created an informal
multi-type library purchasing consortia (the Consortium of Ontario
Libraries) that has assumed the responsibility to negotiate license
agreements on behalf of all Public Libraries, Community Colleges,
Universities, Public and Private Schools.  A working committee consists of
representatives of each type of constituency working together on behalf of
the whole province. Once the actual license rates have been firmed up and
published, the individual organizations are free to 'opt in' or 'opt out'
of the particular product at will.  Barbara Franchetto
(bfranchetto@sols.org) of the Ontario Library Service (an agency for
public libraries) is the current chair and Warren Holder
(holder@library.utoronto.ca) of the University of Toronto is our informal
rep for international contacts.

So far, agreements have been reached with Britannica, Electric Library,
Information Access and are under way with a number of other companies.

Here in Ontario, the Ontario Government has developed several grant programs
with the goal of getting every public library in the Province connected to
the Internet by the year 2000.  Furthermore, similar initiatives by the
Federal Government aim to see all public libraries in Canada achieve
Internet connectivity by 2000.

Hope that helps.

Brian Bell
Manager of Support Services
Oakville Public Library
ph:  905-815-2027
fax: 905-815-2024
President, OLA, 1998

_____________________________________

 At 06:43 PM 2/16/99 EST, rtoohey@slv.vic.gov.au wrote:
>Dear all (please excuse cross-posting),
>
>Does any state (or country) have a public library consortium that includes
>100% of public libraries in that area?
>
>Does any state (or country) have 100% of public libraries connected to the
>Internet?
>
>Which products does the consortium have access to? Approximate total
>number of journals?
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>Cheers
>
>Rebecca Toohey
>Project Officer
>Libraries Online
>State Library of Victoria
>328 Swanston Street
>Melbourne Victoria 3000
>AUSTRALIA
>Ph   613 9669 9808
>Fax 613 9669 9958
>Email rtoohey@slv.vic.gov.au
>WWW http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/slv/libonline/