The Columbia and Cornell University Libraries [or 2CUL] have entered into what they hope will be a transformative and enduring partnership focused on gaining efficiencies through collaborative workflows as well as providing content, expertise, and services that would be impossible for either institution to deliver unilaterally. Among the aims of 2CUL is the integration of library operations across the two institutions, including implementation of a joint library management system. This presentation reviews the reasons behind and the operating principles that will guide this implementation, as well as its relevance to the library world at large.