In December 1992 at the University of Calgary, Librarians from nine COPPUL institutions across the four Prairie and Pacific provinces gathered for the first time to discuss “data”, a new-to-most-of-us collection format, along with its associated technical and service challenges.

At the time, while most of us didn’t know very much about “data”, we did know from experience that cooperation, group collaboration, and resource sharing would be the key to mastering this new resource.  A few months after this first meeting, our newly formed group signed a data consortium federation agreement with the ICPSR.

The topic was: An Introduction to Library Data Services.

Barb, Marilyn B., Marilyn A., Anna

Christine

Left side, front to back: Darlene, Hilde, Walter, Nicole, Barb. Right side, front to back: Sharon, Christine, Anna, Marilyn A.

Front row: Barb and Anna. Back row: Marilyn B. and Nicole

Anna, Christine, Sharon, Gisle

Front row: Barb, Anna, and Marilyn A. Back row: Marilyn B. and Nicole

Darlene and Sharon

Walter and Nicole

Left side, bottom to top: Barb, Nicole, Walter, Hilde, Darlene. Right side, bottom to top: Marilyn A., Anna, Christine’s arm, Sharon

Nicole and Chuck