UAE Library Consortium

In 2000, Library directors and technical staff of the United Arab Emirates University Libraries, the Zayed University Libraries, and the Higher Colleges of Technology Libraries met to discuss the opportunities for cooperative ventures among their libraries. All were in agreement that the group should move forward on specific cooperative efforts and that they should develop a model for library cooperation in the UAE and within the Gulf region. The vision held by these national higher education libraries was that all students, faculty and staff will have timely and efficient access to the collections and resources of all libraries.

To further this vision, the libraries agreed to move forward on the following shared ventures:

1. Acquiring and implementing a common and state-of-the-art integrated automated library software system.
2. Formalizing interlibrary loan agreements.
3. Developing and implementing reciprocal borrowing agreements among libraries.
4. Exploring consortial subscription to online databases.
5. Providing broader and more efficient access to local publications and news reports.
6. Working together and with institution financial officers to streamline purchasing procedures.
7. Providing professional development activities for all library staff.

Since a common integrated automation system would make all of the other joint initiatives more possible, the group chose the software system as their intial priority. The LIWA Consortial Catalogue, running on MILLENNIUM software, went live in January 2007.