Consortia building: A handshake and a smile, island style

In the evaluation of consortia and what constitutes these entities the discussion runs the gamut. From small, loosely knit groups who are interested in cooperation for the sake of improving services to large membership-driven organizations addressing multiple interests, all recognize the benefits of partnerships. The Federal States of Micronesia are located in the western Pacific Ocean and cover 3.2 million square miles. Throughout this scattering of small islands exists an enthusiastic library community of staff islands and users that changed the outlook of libraries since 1991. Motivated by the collaborative efforts of this group, a project has unfolded over the past year that will further enhance while utilizing innovative technology. In assessment the library needs of the region this group crafted the document "The Federated States of Micronesia Library Services Plan, 1999-2003," which coalesces the concepts, goals and priorities put forward by a broad-based contingency of librarians. The compilation of the plan and its implementation demonstrate an understanding of the issues and exhibit the ingenuity, creativity, and willingness to solve problems on a grand scale addressing the needs of all libraries in this vast Pacific region.