Indian Academic library consortia (IALC): A proposal for electronic resource sharing

Library & Information system networking in India have come into existence more than two decade ago. For so many years the term "Interlibrary loan or Exchange" has been in focus in the parlance of library management. This scenario has extended from its limited basis to become fully grown Consortia of various kinds. Since India is a developing country, we constantly work towards improving our infrastructure and technology to meet the demands of our scientists and researchers by taking the lead from the developed countries. By utilizing the support of the regional & national level networking, libraries in India should cooperatively establish library consortia for offering and sharing electronic resources. Many libraries, especially research libraries in India, have their own network existing within their own locations. These networks can be expanded to enhance the access to the information resources through collaborative partnerships, in the form of Consortia. Since this Consortia idea is still at a nascent stage in Indian libraries, it is essential to have some ideal Consortia models for our libraries to adhere to for optimum utilization of their resources and services. Today Consortium's purpose is shifted from mere sharing of resources to sharing of expertise between libraries and also to explore the need for libraries to make the most effective use of their funds collectively. This is an essential future aspect to be considered seriously in libraries of India. Attempts have been made here to illuminate the idea of forming a national level consortium of Indian academic libraries (IALC) and delineate its benefits