<P> A library consortium is a group of libraries who partner to coordinate activities, share resources, and combine expertise . The International Coalition of Library Consortia is an informal discussion group of such consortia . Library consortia offer significant advantages to increasingly strapped libraries . The sharing of resources, and collaboration on shared goals often enable libraries to deliver higher quality services than they would be able to deliver on their own . </P> <P> Inter-library loan is a system that allows for libraries to borrow and share materials across a wide variety of topics as well as vast geographic locations . It is the most common use of cooperation between libraries as well as within specific consortia . Consortia can grow into something that covers much larger ground than a simple inter-library loan agreement . Many consortia within the United States have ventured further and developed integrated library systems, or ILS . Examples of these integrated systems include OhioLINK, comprising 88 academic libraries in Ohio; TexShare; Northern Lights Library Network of Minnesota, which incorporates over 300 libraries within the state; Orbis Cascade Alliance in the Northwestern United States; The Alberta Library in Alberta, the MCIT Library Consortium in India; LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network, comprising 49 academic and special libraries in Louisiana; the Abilene Library Consortium in West Texas; PASCAL in South Carolina; and Central / Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing, Inc. (C / W MARS). </P>

What is consortium in library and information science