The City Council of Barcelona and the Diputacio (The Provincial Council) agreed in 1996 to produce a Libraries Plan for the period 1998-2010 with the aim of adapting the library network of the city of Barcelona to the needs of the future. Consequently, the subtitle chosen for the Plan was: Libraries of the 21st Century: from information to knowledge. For this Plan to be carried out correctly, the Consortium of Libraries of Barcelona was formed in 2001, as an instrument for managing the combination of the city's public library infrastructure and services. The formula chosen was that of a consortium given that it responded best to legal and organisational needs and also allowed for a better service to the citizens.