Amigos library services
Encyclopedia
Amigos Library Services, Inc. is dedicated to serving libraries. Amigos began in 1974 in Dallas, Texas
, as AMIGOS Bibliographic Council, when 22 libraries united to bring OCLC
access to the southwestern United States. A not-for-profit organization, Amigos is today one of the nation’s largest library resource-sharing networks and a leader in providing information technology
to libraries.
The Amigos membership consists of over 750 libraries and cultural-heritage institutions, located primarily in the southwestern United States
, who utilize Amigos’ comprehensive line of services, including cataloging, reference, resource sharing, preservation, digital imaging, consulting, and training.
The mission of Amigos Library Services is to:
Amigos Library Services is one of the largest U.S. library networks and is similar in scope to other library-oriented consortia such as Bibliographical Center for Research
, OhioLINK
, PALINET and LYRASIS
.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, as AMIGOS Bibliographic Council, when 22 libraries united to bring OCLC
OCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
access to the southwestern United States. A not-for-profit organization, Amigos is today one of the nation’s largest library resource-sharing networks and a leader in providing information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
to libraries.
The Amigos membership consists of over 750 libraries and cultural-heritage institutions, located primarily in the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, who utilize Amigos’ comprehensive line of services, including cataloging, reference, resource sharing, preservation, digital imaging, consulting, and training.
The mission of Amigos Library Services is to:
- Provide innovative services to libraries
- Promote library cooperation and resource sharing
- Strengthen libraries as leaders of their community
- Support libraries as education and information providers
Amigos Library Services is one of the largest U.S. library networks and is similar in scope to other library-oriented consortia such as Bibliographical Center for Research
Bibliographical Center for Research
Bibliographical Center for Research was a library cooperative and regional libraries network. Its members included over 8000 libraries in an 11-state region of the western United States. BCR was created in 1935 and was the nation’s oldest and most established multistate library cooperative...
, OhioLINK
OhioLINK
The Ohio Library and Information Network, OhioLINK, is a consortium of Ohio’s college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio. Serving more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff at 88 institutions, OhioLINK’s membership includes 16 public universities, 23 community/technical...
, PALINET and LYRASIS
Lyrasis
LYRASIS was created in 2009 from the merger of SOLINET and PALINET, two of the strongest and most successful library networks in the United States. NELINET, the New England library network, also merged into LYRASIS in late 2009. In January 2011 the Bibliographical Center for Research phased out...
.