ABSTRACT
Consortia and cooperative efforts in the library world have had a long history, and their importance has been recognized even from the start. As the twentieth century has progressed, consortia have become even more important, and the extent of their roles has broadened considerably. In the last few years, they have become large players in helping libraries build shared online catalogs and assisting libraries in affording purchases of electronic resources, both important elements of support for distance learners. As the number of distance learners increases at colleges and universities throughout the country, consortia will be increasingly important to library support of distance learners in their information needs. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <getinfo@haworthpressinc.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
