The North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) is a consortium of 26 libraries on the North Shore of Massachusetts working to improve library service through automation. Seventeen public libraries, eight 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. 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.