NEW to CDO, dedicated newsletters from the CDO Editor. Regular updates with consortia news, as well as recent additions and upcoming improvements to the Consortium Directory Online.
We are planning on sending regular updates with consortia news, as well as recent additions and upcoming changes to the database, plus news of forthcoming technical improvements. We aim to highlight the significant developments that have affected the data we provide on CDO.
AMIGOS-MLNC Merger
Two consortia in the CDO database, Amigos Library Services and the Missouri Library Network Corporation merged over the summer. Talks officially began in late January 2012, when the consortia announced an agreement to explore a merger. The aim was to increase cost-savings and enhance existing resource-sharing opportunities to provide better services. On 1 July 2012, after agreeing to finalize a merger, the organisations officially became one under the Amigos name.
Their agreement is very significant, as the organisation now wields great buying power, with a membership of approximately 1,000 institutions in 22 states. More information is available at: http://amigosmlnc.wordpress.com and on the Amigos website.
Florida Virtual Campus
A new consortium has been added that resulted from a merger. The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) is a consolidation of many services that were once provided by four separate, Florida organisations. They were: the Florida Center for Advising and Academic Support, the Florida Distance Learning Consortium, the College Center for Library Automation and the Florida Center for Library Automation. This consortium, by pure coincidence, also officially formed on 1 July 2012, and now provides a virtual one-stop shop for information on online courses, degree programs, academic advising, and licensing activities. As the organisations are still in the process of fully uniting, details on licensing services can still be found on the College Center for Library Automation and Florida Center for Library Automation websites. The aim after the transitional period is to provide comprehensive services from the FLVC portal.
More information can be found on the FLVC, College Center for Library Automation and Florida Center for Library Automation CDO profiles.
New Consortia Added to CDO
In the past few months, we have been busy adding and updating consortia on the database. These consortia have recently been added:
- Albania: Electronic Resources for Albania (ERA2012)
- Canada: Réseau universitaire intégré de santé de lUniversité de Montréal (RUIS de l’UdeM)
- India: Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Health Sciences Library Network (BFUHS-HSLIBNET)
- Philippines: Philippines eLib Project
- United States: Buffalo Independent Secondary Schools Network (BISSNET); Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC); Health Sciences Librarians of Illinois (HSLI); Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey (HSLANJ); Libraries in Clackamas County (LINCC); Library Consortium of Health Institutions in Buffalo (LCHIB); Milwaukee County Federated Library System (MCFLS)
Technical Developments
We are working on providing the best service possible for users of CDO. Recent work has taken place on the CDO-Identify Database linkages and on the CDO database itself. On CDO, we are in the process of offering the ability to search by date added and have updated our timestamp mechanism, so that users can see clearly when the profile was last changed. We are looking into providing further details about which aspects, specifically, have been changed.
We have also updated CDO’s Useful Information page and, as part of a continual streamlining of the Identify and CDO services, are looking to add many new consortia from the Identify Database in the coming months. As always, we aim to represent consortia from many countries in different regions of the globe, particularly emerging markets, so that users can stay up-to-date on new and changing opportunities.
We are always happy to hear your tips and suggestions about future developments to CDO. If you wish to tell us about them, please feel free to contact us at info@ringgold.com. Or find us on Skype at ‘ringgoldinc’.