INFER is a co-ordinating group set up to co-operate in promoting access to electronic information resources in Italian libraries.

INFER seeks to further the efficient use of electronic information in libraries and to facilitate access by the public.  To this end it encourages libraries to set up consortia and other types of agreement on acquisition and management of electronic resources and access to them.

INFER acts as a reference and linkage point and develops initiatives to promote activities and programmes in the area of library electronic resource-sharing.  In this connection it gathers and disseminates information on co-operation efforts under way in Italy and abroad, and suggests ideas and guidelines.

INFER seeks to enhance awareness both at institutional political level and among librarians and end users.  In this context INFER sees its most direct interlocutors as the central and local administrations libraries are dependent on (ministries, universities, local authorities, etc.), research institutions, the Italian Library Association (AIB) and other organisations in the sector.

INFER aims to facilitate dialogue and mutual collaboration between libraries and all others in the knowledge production and distribution chain, to help all of them (authors, publishers, intermediaries, final users) to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the information society.

INFER has contacts with similar undertakings under way in other countries in Europe and further afield.

INFER started from a discussion group initiated by the Library of the European University Institute (Florence) and the University of Florence, made up of those in charge of libraries, library systems and university computing consortia.