Key Objectives of Library Networks: Why They Matter

Imagine a single university library trying to satisfy every research need of its students and faculty on its own. No matter how large its budget, it would fail. Books are expensive, journal subscriptions cost lakhs of rupees, and no institution can collect everything. This is exactly the problem that library and information networks were created to solve. A library network connects multiple libraries through a shared technological and administrative framework so that the strengths of one institution become available to all. But why exactly were these networks set up, and what are they trying to achieve? Understanding their core objectives reveals how libraries have transformed from isolated collections into a connected ecosystem of knowledge.

What a library and information network sets out to do 🔗

A library network is an interconnected group of libraries bound by formal agreements to meet the information needs of their users collectively. The common goal of any library network is to build unique collections, avoid duplication of materials, and solve budget constraints through cooperative sharing. The movement gained momentum after 1985, when the Planning Commission’s working group recommended a modernised plan for a National Policy on Library and Information System.

The objectives of these networks are not random. They address four practical pressures every library faces: shrinking budgets against rising costs, the shift from print to digital, the difficulty of locating scattered resources, and the need for skilled staff. The major networks operating in the country, from DELNET to INFLIBNET, were each established with a defined set of goals. Let us examine the most important objectives one by one.

Enhancing resource sharing and interlibrary cooperation 🔗

The foremost objective of any library network is resource sharing. Resource sharing means libraries pool their collections, staff expertise, infrastructure, and even finances so that each member gains access to far more than it owns. The logic is simple. The literature in every subject keeps growing while library budgets keep shrinking, which forces libraries to depend on one another.

Networks make this cooperation systematic rather than occasional. One of the clearly stated objectives of a library and information network is to encourage inter-library cooperation, establish effective communication among the users of member institutions, and achieve better utilisation of funds. When ten libraries share their holdings, a student at one institution can borrow or request a document held by any of the other nine.

Avoiding duplication and saving money 🔗

A direct benefit of resource sharing is the reduction of wasteful duplication. If five libraries in a city each subscribe to the same expensive journal, four of those subscriptions could be redundant. Through coordinated collection development, networks help members spend their limited funds on different materials and then share access. DELNET, for example, was created with the prime objective of promoting resource sharing among libraries and reducing unnecessary duplication wherever possible. This collective approach stretches public and institutional money much further.

Library automation and standardisation 🔗

The second major objective is to support member institutions in library automation and the adoption of common standards. Resource sharing is only possible when libraries speak the same technical language. If one library catalogues a book in one format and another uses a completely different one, their records cannot be merged or searched together. Networks therefore push members towards computerisation and standardised practices.

This is a central part of the mission. The goals of INFLIBNET explicitly include achieving complete automation of libraries in educational institutions and developing standardised bibliographic databases. To make this practical, INFLIBNET designed SOUL (Software for University Libraries), an integrated library management software built to comply with international standards for bibliographic formats and circulation protocols.

Standard formats and digital transformation 🔗

Standardisation usually means adopting internationally accepted formats such as MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) for bibliographic records. DELNET assists its members with cataloguing and organising collections using standardised formats like MARC, which keeps collections properly indexed and searchable across the whole network. Beyond cataloguing, networks drive a broader digital transformation. Their objectives now include promoting the digitisation of legacy documents, building electronic theses and dissertation repositories, and helping institutions set up open access digital repositories. Automation is thus not just about replacing card catalogues with computers, but about preparing libraries for a fully digital environment.

Providing efficient access to information 🔗

The third objective is to provide efficient and rapid access to information held across many libraries. Building shared collections is pointless if users cannot find out what exists and where. Two tools make this objective achievable: the union catalogue and the document delivery service.

The role of union catalogues 🔗

A union catalogue is a single, combined database listing the holdings of all participating libraries. Instead of searching each library separately, a researcher can search one platform and instantly see which institution holds a particular book, journal, or thesis. INFLIBNET maintains IndCat, an online union catalogue of books, theses, and serials drawn from major university and institute libraries. One of INFLIBNET’s founding objectives was to provide reliable access to the document collections of libraries by creating online union catalogues of monographs, serials, and non-book materials. This single feature saves enormous time and removes the need to physically visit multiple libraries.

Document delivery services 🔗

Once a user locates a needed item through the union catalogue, the next step is getting it. This is where document delivery services come in. Networks arrange for the physical or electronic transfer of documents from the holding library to the requesting user. INFLIBNET listed the provision of document delivery service by enriching the information sources of libraries with rich collections in specific areas as a key objective. DELNET similarly offers document transfer and copy facilities, along with interlibrary loan services. Together, the union catalogue and document delivery turn the scattered holdings of dozens of libraries into one accessible collection.

Promoting training and development 🔗

The fourth objective recognises a simple truth: technology alone cannot run a network. Skilled people are needed to manage automated systems, maintain databases, and serve users in a digital environment. So networks treat human resource development as a core goal, not an afterthought. They help library staff adapt to new technologies through continuous training.

DELNET, for instance, was founded with human resource development as one of its visionary objectives, providing training programmes to help professionals upgrade their skills for the networked environment. In practice, DELNET arranges tutorials, workshops, lectures, and training programmes throughout the year, alongside its flagship annual convention, NACLIN (National Convention on Knowledge, Library and Information Networking).

Keeping pace with changing technology 🔗

Training is especially important because library technology keeps evolving. Professionals today need to handle open-source integrated library systems, build digital libraries, and manage networking protocols. DELNET provides training in the use of Koha and DSpace, two widely used open-source tools for library management and digital library building, and offers consultancy on implementing them. By continuously upskilling staff, networks ensure that the human side of the library keeps pace with the technological side. This addresses the technological, human, and resource dimensions of library development at the same time.

How these objectives work together 🔗

The four objectives are deeply connected and reinforce one another. Resource sharing cannot happen without automation and standardisation, because shared catalogues need common formats. Efficient access through union catalogues and document delivery depends on both the shared resources and the automated systems behind them. And none of it functions well without trained staff to operate the technology and serve users. Seen together, these objectives explain why library networks matter so much. They convert isolated, budget-constrained institutions into a cooperative system where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts, ensuring that students, researchers, and faculty can reach the information they need regardless of which library physically holds it.

What do you think? Which of these four objectives do you believe is most critical for a small college library with a limited budget, and why? As artificial intelligence tools become common, how might the traditional objectives of library networks need to expand or change?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_networks_in_India
2. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/lisp13/chapter/resource-sharing-and-networking/
3. https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807563.pdf
4. https://inflibnet.ac.in/
5. https://libraryacademy.in/delnet/
6. https://study.niteshkverma.com/paper.php?unit=Information-and-Library-Network-%28INFLIBNET%29
7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371474942_Role_of_INFLIBNET_in_Indian_Library_Services
8. http://delnet.in/professional-training.html
9. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/lisp5/chapter/library-network-in-india-case-study-delnet/