Beginning this week, Georgetown will once again share library resources and services with seven other Washington, D.C.-area universities through its recommitment to the Washington Research Library Consortium.

Students will now be able to borrow materials and access information technology and support services through other member institutions, including the libraries of American, Marymount, George Mason and The George Washington universities, as well as Catholic University of America and the University of the District of Columbia. Students at these universities will also have access to Georgetown’s 1.6 million volumes, multimedia center and other reference materials.

This is not Georgetown’s first involvement with the WRLC.

“Georgetown was a member of the WRLC in the past but withdrew from the consortium when there was only one model for cooperation which involved sharing the cost of an automated library system. Georgetown already had such a system and we could not afford the extra expense of what would be a duplicative cost,” Assistant Vice President for Communications Julie Greene Bataille said. She said recent changes to the model of participation in the consortium prompted the university to initiate discussions with the WRLC about rejoining the organization. Georgetown pays an annual membership fee to remain a part of the consortium, but the exact figure was not available at press time.

University Librarian Artemis G. Kirk said in a press release that the move was an exciting one for the university. “I think our participation will not only benefit the greater Washington community by expanding access to our resources but also assist our own students, faculty and staff, who will now be able to access many services at several schools in the D.C. area.”