The hidden forces that positively shape library consortia: addressing the gap between developed and developing countries

Abstract

With diminishing finances, it is rarely possible for a library or information center to have enough resources to fulfill the needs of its clients. Libraries working under effective collaborative initiatives in developed countries have registered tremendous success compared to libraries in developing countries. There is a growing need for libraries in developing countries to redefine their resource sharing strategies so as to benefit from library collaboration that can result in a more effective means of meeting the needs of their library users. This paper looks at issues surrounding the factors that have led to successful resource sharing among academic and research libraries in developed countries and how to practically apply such success factors to improve collaboration among academic and research libraries in developing countries. Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) and Consortium of Uganda University Libraries (CUUL) are the focus in this research. This research has showed that subscription to and continued participation in a consortium is a result of a calculated return on investment by different stakeholder. Research has demonstrated that there factors considered more important by consortium membership, those that are more important to consortium staff, while other factors influence libraries to join and continue to participate in a single consortium. More so, there are those most influential consortium values and different factors that lead to the success of a consortium.