LIU (David T). Cooperative Sharing of Library Resources in America . 10,1; 1985;36-52
Despite higher cost and budget cuts, 1980s may witness continued library cooperation and resources/services sharing in the States because : 1 many libraries have long been 'locked in with OCLC or another-shared computer system without having retained the conventional card catalog; 2 State/Federal funds usually go to systems/networks rather than individual libraries; 3 besides being cost-effective (lower cost/greater efficiency in such major functions as circulation, reference, acquisitions and technical processing), this joint adventure ensures extension/improvement of library material/service to culturally/economically deprived and information-poor people and area, thus offering more citizens quicker/more equal/wide access to more/better information and services (e.g. reference, referral and interlibrary loan); 4 even the larger libraries are not adequate in their resources (staff, space, materials and functions) to meet the increasing needs and wants of their users. This joint adventure might be locally/periodically/partially reduced if the following factors prevail:1 anti-intellectualism and socio-economic conservatism; 2 prolonged recession;3 staggering inequities of access to network; 4 consensus unreached (due to conflicting interest/philosophy and varied funding sources/priorities) by a board representative of diverse libraries and communities. This joint adventure will accelerate 'teledemocracy' and telecommunications link; but wider/quicker access to information (if not to wisdom and insight) may not enable us to close the gaps of the 'two culture'.