There have been a number of significant cooperative and collaborative initiatives undertaken by Australian academic and research libraries in recent years. Evidence of genuine cooperation and collaboration between several academic libraries has now become a prerequisite for success in grant applications. Furthermore the Strategic Plan of the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL), which covers all 38 Australian university libraries, is based on cooperative action and collaborative solutions.
The paper will allude to some recent projects that demonstrate the above, but will focus on the Australian Academic and Research Library Network (AARLIN) Portal Project, supported by the Australian Research Council, 20 Australian university libraries and the National Library of Australia. Its principal aim is to develop a structure and framework for providing unmediated, personalised and seamless end user access to the analogue and digital resources of Australian university and research libraries from workstations of research staff and students.