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| Formation | 1974; 50 years ago (1974) |
|---|---|
| Type | library consortium, non-profit organization |
| Focus | Library services |
| Location | |
| Website | www |
Amigos Library Services, Inc. is a membership-based American not-for-profit organization chartered to serve libraries. The organization was formed in 1974 in Dallas, Texas, as the AMIGOS Bibliographic Council. It included 22 libraries, united to bring OCLC access to the southwestern United States. As of September 2021 Amigos is one of the largest library resource-sharing networks and a provider of information technology to libraries.
In July 2012, Amigos merged with Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC), an organization similar to Amigos headquartered in St. Louis. The action followed votes to approve the merger in April 2012 by MLNC members and May 2012 by Amigos members.
The combined organization retained the Amigos name with Dallas as its headquarters and an office in the St. Louis area. The new organization became the largest library network west of the Mississippi River, comprising libraries and cultural heritage institutions in 22 states.
Amigos Library Services is similar in scope to other library-oriented consortia such as the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, OhioNet, and Lyrasis.
References
- "About Amigos". Amigos Library Services. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- Robinson, Barbara M. (Nov 1980). "Cooperation and Competition among Library Networks". Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 31 (6): 413–425. doi:10.1002/asi.4630310607.
- "Amigos/MLNC Merger Update". Amigos Library Services. 12 Apr 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- "Member Votes Finalize Amigos/MLNC Merger". Amigos Library Services. May 15, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2024.