Interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing: fiction or reality

Abstract

Libraries cannot be exhaustive in their collections neither can they profess to be islands unto themselves. Cooperative enterprises that encourage resource sharing exist in nations where finance is not a barrier. The purpose of this study is to investigate interlibrary cooperation (ILC) and Resource Sharing (RS) activities among academic libraries in Ghana. The main objectives of the study are to investigate the need for ILC, the current cooperative activities and, the cost and benefits it offers. The case study research design is used to gather data from thirty-five (35) respondents from the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kumasi Technical University, and Koforidua Technical University. The findings of the study indicate that institutions would share resources freely to a large extent without expecting anything in return. Additionally, the findings reveal that financial constraints, lack of RS policy, lack of resources, etc., are some of the challenges that hinder libraries in ILC and RS practice. It is recommended that more education, workshops, and refresher courses should be organized for librarians on ILC and RS. Furthermore, the study suggests that academic libraries must develop appropriate policies on the practice of RS as well as the means to evaluate their practices.

Keywords:

• Resource sharing
• cooperation
• academic libraries
• interlibrary loan
• Ghana