Relating to or involving cooperation or exchange between different libraries. Most commonly used in 'interlibrary loan' systems where libraries share resources with each other.
From Latin 'inter-' meaning 'between' and 'library' from Latin 'librarium' meaning 'bookcase' or 'collection of books'. The term emerged in the early 20th century as libraries began formalizing resource-sharing agreements.
The interlibrary loan system represents one of humanity's most generous information-sharing networks, where competing institutions freely lend their treasures to help scholars worldwide. Before the internet, this system was often a researcher's only way to access rare or specialized materials housed thousands of miles away.
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