OHIOLINK: A vision for the 21st century

Abstract

OhioLINK, a consortium of Ohio academic libraries in both the public and the private sector ranging from major research institutions to community colleges, is one of the nation's first major attempts to create a virtual, statewide library system. More than just linking the holdings of participating libraries within the context of a 48‐hour delivery system for books and journal articles, OhioLINK provides the platform as well for the statewide delivery of commercial and other databases, Gopher Internet access, and experimentation with the development and testing of new information tools. OhioLINK also represents an intriguing and creative approach to state funding and automated system design. In terms of bold imagination and cooperative power, OhioLINK follows in the footsteps of that other major Ohio institution, OCLC.