The North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) is a

consortium A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...

of 25 libraries on the North Shore of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

working to improve

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

service through automation. Seventeen public libraries, seven college libraries, and one special library are members. NOBLE was the first automated resource sharing network in the state and the first Massachusetts library network on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

. It was established in 1980 by five libraries sharing their circulation system. By 1995, NOBLE served 32,000 college students and 522,000 residents and kept a database that featured more than 2.3 million items."Designing Internet services for a consortium: the NOBLE experience"
''Computers in Libraries'', October 1, 1995 NOBLE is governed by its member libraries who approve the annual budget, establish NOBLE policies, and elect officers. An executive board, composed of the four officers and five at-large library directors, more closely oversees NOBLE operations. A professional staff manages operations. NOBLE is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

corporation and is recognized as a charitable organization by the Massachusetts Attorney General's office.

Member libraries

Public libraries

* Beverly Public Library * Peabody Institute Library of Danvers * Everett Public Libraries * Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester * Lynn Public Library * Lynnfield Public Library * Abbot Public Library, Marblehead * Melrose Public Library * Peabody Institute Library, Peabody * Reading Public Library * Revere Public Library * Salem Public Library * Saugus Public Library * Stoneham Public Library * Swampscott Public Library * Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield * Winthrop Public Library and Museum

Special library

* Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Professional Library, Boston

Academic libraries

* Bunker Hill Community College Library, Charlestown * Endicott College, Halle Library, Beverly * Gordon College, Jenks Library, Wenham * Merrimack College, McQuade Library, North Andover * Montserrat College of Art, Scott Library, Beverly *

Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...

, Oliver Wendell Holmes Library, Andover * Salem State University Library, Salem

References

External links