Representatives from Orbis and Cascade have agreed to merge the two library databases into the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Orbis supplies its 20 member universities in Oregon with books and other materials from its collection of about 10 million.
Cascade, a six-member library catalog program, provides Washington with a similar service. The two databases will officially unite when the directors of both groups meet in April.
The current merger, made official Nov. 1, will more than double the size of material available for the University community, totaling about 22 million, largely because of the University of Washington’s collection, which is one of the largest in the country.
However, the complete database will not be ready until fall 2003.
“It’s going to be a lot of work to put the two organizations together,” Orbis executive director John Helmer said.
Helmer said the sizable technical and legal work involved in the merger may delay other projects.
The venture will create a unified computer system that allows participating schools to search and request library materials from any of the 26 member universities, and receive them via a complementary courier service that delivers the requested item within one or two days.
“These collaborations are ways of all of these institutions to build on each other’s resources and holdings,” University Director of Library Communications Ron Renchler said.
The momentum for Orbis sprang from a 1993 Meyer Memorial Trust grant given to the University, University librarian Deborah Carver said.
The organization began with the University of Oregon, Eastern Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, Western Oregon University and the Oregon Institute of Technology.
“It was just one of those things where we had everything to win and nothing to lose,” Carver said.
In addition, to increasing available resources, the new consortium will help cut costs for all of the universities involved.
Those schools with smaller holdings will benefit from the advanced access to materials, and the 60 non-member schools in Oregon, Washington and Idaho may also use the resources through special library programs. The new alliance will provide services to 174,000 full-time students.
Helmer said one of the merger’s key graces is its convenience.
“Really, I like to think of it as one-stop shopping,” he said.
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