RESOURCE SHARING AMONG AUSTRALIAN LIBRARIES - A DISTRIBUTED NATIONAL COLLECTION

Resource sharing among Australian libraries is longstanding and takes a number of forms including interlending, the sharing of bibliographic information through the Australian Bibliographic Network, shared storage facilities, and reciprocal borrowing schemes. Most recently, the Australian library community has elected to define and more formally develop the concept of a distributed national collection. Further development of the concept will involve five elements: bibliographic control, collections, access, preservation, and national coordination. Infrastructure needs include a national conspectus, national access to holdings information, an effective interlending system, and creation of a national preservation office.