South Africa's GAELIC: The Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium

The Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium (GAELIC) is the largest academi c library consortium in South Africa. It was formed in response to conditio ns in the higher education sector at the time, and in recognition of the ne ed to cooperate and become more cost effective. GAELIC's sixteen members re present the broad spectrum of university and technikon libraries in this co untry,from the well-established "historically advantaged" libraries to thos e that are small, remote, and "historically disadvantaged. " Overcoming the effects of the previous government's discriminatory approach through resou rce shaving and cooperation is an important objective of GAELIC, as evidenc ed in the implementation of the INNOPAC library system in all member librar ies and in the ongoing work of its various task groups.