Abstract: | SummaryLibrary consortia have grown substantially over the past ten years, both within North America and globally. As this resurgent consortial movement has begun to mature, and as publishers and vendors have begun to adapt to consortial purchasing models, consortia have expanded their agendas for action. The movement to globalize consortia is traced (including the development and current work of the International Coalition of Library Consortia-ICOLC). A methodology is explored to classify library consortia by articulating the key factors that affect and distinguish consortia as organizations within three major areas: strategic, tactical, and practical (or managerial) concerns. Common consortial values are examined, and a list of known international library consortia appears in the appendix. |