  We propose an approach to distribute high-fidelity long-range entanglement in
a quantum network assisted by the entanglement supplied by auxiliary
short-range paths between the network nodes. Entanglement assistance in the
form of shared catalyst states is utilized to maximize the efficiency of
entanglement concentration transformations over the edges of the network. The
catalyst states are recycled for use in adaptive operations at the network
nodes and replenished periodically using the auxiliary short-range paths. The
rate of long-range entanglement distribution using such entanglement assistance
is found to be significantly higher than possible without using entanglement
assistance.
