Federal Libraries Consortium

About the FLC

Our Goal

Our Plan

Vendors and Suppliers

Our Goal

The Federal Libraries Consortium was established in July 1995 to use the collective purchasing potential of government libraries to realize cost savings for its members in the acquisition of library materials (goods and services).

Our Plan

The Consortium has a solid foundation, built on the goodwill of the members and their commitment to contribute to the community of federal libraries. With a grassroots origin that was recently formally incorporated in Library and Archives Canada, the Consortium plays a significant role in maximizing library resource expenditures and obtaining resources that might otherwise be unaffordable by many libraries within the government system.

From an analysis of needs assessment data, the following opportunities have been identified:

• Continued budget pressures on libraries mean that collaboration on procurement to maximize cost benefits, reduce administrative duplication, leverage procurement expertise, and provide access to otherwise unattainable resources are the key components of the value proposition and the primary goal of the Consortium.
• Recognizing the rising cost of the procurement process and the need for standardized approaches that address accountability, the current climate in government suggests that a best practice model (as previously recognized by Treasury Board) like the Consortium provides an opportunity to better position and leverage resources within the federal government system.
• The recent transformation of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) presents an opportunity to revitalize LAC's role in high-quality service delivery by federal libraries to government and citizens through cost effective procurement and expanded access to information resources - the primary focus of the Consortium.
• The consortium model is recognized throughout the library and information industry/vendor communities as a cost-effective way of doing business. By maximizing the consortium buying power, libraries and vendors all reduce the cost of procurement to the benefit of all parties. A consortium, acting on behalf of the federal library system, is welcomed by the vendor community as much as by the library community.

Vendors and Suppliers

Consortium staff actively negotiates with vendors and suppliers of information products and services for the best deals possible for the federal libraries. We offer vendors a focal point to penetrate the government library market, evaluations of new products, product surveys, demonstration opportunities and vendor fairs/focus groups. Vendors are chosen based on the priorities established by the Consortium Advisory Committee, in consultation with federal libraries. Inclusion in the Consortium Vendor Directory does not imply an endorsement of the supplier.

Details of agreements with vendors are made available to libraries through the Consortium's listserv. They are also posted in a password-protected area on the Consortium website.

The Consortium keeps federal librarians informed about new trends in electronic licensing, information products and library software development. The Consortium concentrates the buying power from the smallest library to the largest department.

For more information, contact:
Consortium Coordinator
Federal Libraries Consortium
Library and Archives Canada
Place de la Cité
550 Blvd de la Cité
Gatineau QC  K1A 0N4
CANADA

Telephone: 819-934-4358
Fax: 819-934-7534
Email: consortium@bac-lac.gc.ca