Regional and Global Library Networks

The Colorado legislature recently funded a grant proposal to create “Prospector,” a regional library network. The network, now operational, was a joint project of the University of Northern Colorado and the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. The major goals of the project were (1) to create a single digital catalog of the library holdings of the major academic and public library collections in Colorado and make it accessible by anyone from anywhere in the state; and (2) to create an automated borrowing system to facilitate the ability of library patrons to order library materials from home, school, office, or at a local library and arrange for expedited delivery to various locations. This article describes the issues faced and the experiences involved in bringing these goals to fruition.