International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC): The International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) is an informal organization that began meeting in 1997. Comprising about sixty library consortia in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Israel, and Australia, the Coalition represents over 5,000 member libraries worldwide. The Coalition serves primarily higher education institutions by facilitating discussion among its members on issues of common interest.
ICOLC conducts meetings to keep its members informed about new electronic information resources, pricing practices of electronic providers and vendors, and other issues of importance to consortium directors and their governing boards. These meetings also provide a forum for consortial representatives to meet with the information provider community, discuss their products, and engage in a dialog with Coalition members about issues of mutual concern. The ICOLC also maintains list serves and web pages for the benefit of its members. Information about the ICOLC can be found at http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia