Purpose – The concept of academic library consortium emerged in the Philippines in the 1970s evidenced by the successive establishment of three consortia namely, the Academic Libraries Book Acquisition Services Association (ALBASA) in 1973, the Inter-Institutional Consortium (IIC) (now South Manila Inter-Institutional Consortium) in 1974, and the Mendiola Consortium (MC) in 1975. This paper aims to find out the experiences and status of selected academic library consortia in the Philippines, namely, the Academic Libraries Book Acquisitions Systems Association, Inc. (ALBASA), the American Corners (also known as American Studies Resource Center (ASRC) in some areas), the Aurora Boulevard Consortium Libraries, Inc. (ABC), the Davao Colleges and University Network (DACUN), the Inter University Consortium (IUC), the Intramuros Library Consortium (ILC), the Mendiola Consortium (MC), the Ortigas Center Library Consortium (OCLC), and the South Manila Inter institutional Consortium (SMI-IC) specifically in terms of the objectives of the different consortia, the activities they undertake and how such relate to the set objectives, the benefits they have enjoyed or continue to enjoy, the issues they have encountered as well as success/failure factors experienced by libraries in joining the different consortia. Design/methodology/approach – The sample was derived from the review of literature, which also served as basis to come up with the list of existing academic library consortia. The respondents were selected based on the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL) directory. Communication was sent via email, telephone, scheduled personal interview and social networking sites (e.g. Facebook). A total of 13 out of 23 (56.52 percent) respondents accomplished the survey questionnaires which were distributed online and manually. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the results. Findings – Results of the study revealed that the role academic library consortia play in the development of academic libraries is crucial particularly in the promotion of professional development and resource sharing. As technology greatly influences the way libraries do things, the varying level of technological development among consortium member libraries confirmed to be a major challenge being faced by them today. While majority of the surveyed consortia assessed themselves to be successful, it is evident that there is lack of congruence between the consortia's objectives and undertakings. Originality/value – The paper is a modest contribution to the dearth of literature in Philippine academic library consortia. It also is the first study conducted measuring the success of selected academic consortia and identifying the factors contributing to their success/failure.

The development of library cooperation in the Philippines, particularly among academic, school, and special libraries, started in the early 1930s and was known under different names (Ladlad, 2003), such as resource sharing, partnership, consortium, linkage, library cooperation, and networking. Libraries usually come together in the form of consortia to supplement existing resources by providing access to information available in other libraries. Through cooperation, libraries are able to withstand the skyrocketing prices of information resources as well as budget cuts by means of consortium/cooperative purchasing. Likewise, library cooperation has proven to be an effective way of presenting smart solutions to common library problems/concerns through communities of practice. This chapter provides an overview of major library consortia in the Philippines. The compiled list is as exhaustive as possible. However, due to scarcity of sources, some active consortia may not have been included in the list. The information provided in this chapter was gathered mostly from published Websites. A comparative study, in terms of aims/objectives and activities being carried out by the different consortia, was also included and can be found at the end of this chapter.

Background. Libraries have rapidly adapted their services and policies during the lockdown and have likewise adopted new initiatives. This study investigated on the impact of  COVID-19 to academic libraries in the Philippines. Objectives. The study aimed to: (1) determine the readiness of academic libraries to provide online services and resources in the pre-COVID-19 period or at the onset of the community quarantine in the Philippines in March 2020; (2) look into the different initiatives and innovations introduced by academic libraries during the quarantine period so as to continuously provide services and access to resources, in the absence of face-to-face interaction; (3) explore the different issues and challenges encountered by academic libraries in the delivery of library services during the pandemic; and finally, (4) find out how academic librarians envision the post-COVID-19 era of academic libraries in the country. Methods. The study made use of descriptive quantitative method. Data were gathered through survey using an instrument developed by the authors. Sampling was purposive with head librarians in academic libraries from all over the country as the respondents. Spreadsheet was used to process data which were presented in simple tables, graphs and charts. Responses to the open ended question were analyzed and manually coded using inductive coding. Results. Majority of academic libraries in the country were caught unprepared when the pandemic hit. Despite this, they managed to provide services that were delivered online, while simultaneously embarking on a number of different initiatives. COVID-19 showed to have made considerable impact in terms of staffing, utilization, collection development, and funding.  Finally, the respondents envision academic libraries in the post-pandemic era to still be hybrid, with digital resources gaining prominence over printed resources. Contributions. The shared experiences of academic libraries in the Philippines amidst the pandemic and how they were able to rise above the challenges they were confronted with as they shift their services to online mode may serve as a guide and help inspire other libraries in developing countries faced with similar situations. Keywords. COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine academic libraries, pre-during-post pandemic scenario, innovation, online services, resilience.

The development of library cooperation in the Philippines, particularly among academic, school, and special libraries, started in the early 1930s and was known under different names (Ladlad, 2003), such as resource sharing, partnership, consortium, linkage, library cooperation, and networking. Libraries usually come together in the form of consortia to supplement existing resources by providing access to information available in other libraries. Through cooperation, libraries are able to withstand the skyrocketing prices of information resources as well as budget cuts by means of consortium/cooperative purchasing. Likewise, library cooperation has proven to be an effective way of presenting smart solutions to common library problems/concerns through communities of practice. This chapter provides an overview of major library consortia in the Philippines. The compiled list is as exhaustive as possible. However, due to scarcity of sources, some active consortia may not have been included in the list. The information provided in this chapter was gathered mostly from published Websites. A comparative study, in terms of aims/objectives and activities being carried out by the different consortia, was also included and can be found at the end of this chapter.