LIBRARY COOPERATION
Libraries have many things in common. The processes and practices in several libraries are similar. Even the problems of management and services are common. So with a certain amount of understanding and willingness to cooperate, libraries can come together and offer better services.
When two or more libraries come together to share their resources or exchange their services or agree to cooperate with each other, then such an understanding is known as library cooperation.
The following are some of the areas in which there can be cooperation among libraries:
- Selection of documents.
- Acquisition documents.
- Processing of documents.
- Interlending of documents.
- Preparation of bibliographies, acquisition lists, union lists and catalogues, etc.
- Helping users through information services like translation service, on-line search, etc.
In such cases of cooperation, there can be central cooperating library or coordinating body which monitors and oversees these activities. Sometimes, without any such coordinating body the libraries themselves may agree to co-operate with each other following certain broad guidelines and principles.
Library co-operation can be not only within a group of libraries or library systems but also within the main library and its branch libraries of the same library system. These activities can be accomplished through library networks.