Collection Development Manual > Cooperative Agreements
Cooperative Agreements
Multnomah County Library recognizes that it cannot provide everything that its customers request within its own collection of resources. Therefore, the Library is committed to the cooperation and sharing of resources among libraries and other agencies that acquire, house, and make information and materials accessible. Multnomah County Library participates in a number of cooperative agreements designed to allow it to take advantage of the specialized resources that other libraries may have, while making its collections available to customers at other libraries. The Library supports cooperative use agreements that span library district and agency lines, thus allowing users access to the broadest array of resources and information. To learn more about the Metropolitan Interlibrary Exchange (MIX) service area agreement, see Get a Card. The Library also participates in local and regional consortia that facilitate purchasing and access to a variety of digital resources and services.
Multnomah County Library supports cooperative collection development activities when feasible as a means of providing the best access to the most information for the most people. In addition, the Library offers Interlibrary Loan as a means of providing access to specialized, out-of-print, and other materials not acquired. Multnomah County Library makes every effort to satisfy the needs of its customers through its own collection or through other local resources. Requests for materials not in the Library's collection are considered for purchase and may be purchased if the material meets the library's mission and falls within budget constraints. The Library is committed to building a collection of resources that responds to and is capable of filling most of its customers' needs.