Cooperative News

OCLC and American Theological Library Association Announce Partnership

OCLC is pleased to welcome the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) as the newest partner in the OCLC Partnership Program.  As Partners, OCLC and ATLA will collaborate on programs and activities to enhance services and expand educational opportunities to members of both organizations.  ATLA and OCLC have an extensive history of working together on initiatives such as the Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program, group services and electronic content offerings.  This new partnership formalizes the work already under way and extends the opportunity to explore new ways to anticipate and address the needs of our shared members.  The OCLC Partnership Program brings value-added services to OCLC member institutions through the development of strategic partnerships with library consortia, groups, networks, and other membership organizations.  OCLC and its Partners work together to strengthen member relationships and develop programs and services to serve the needs of shared members.  For more information about the OCLC Partnership Program, or to learn more about becoming an OCLC Partner to deliver new service options or training to members, contact OCLC.

Cataloging and Metadata

Technical Bulletin 258:  OCLC-MARC Format Update 2010

Technical Bulletin 258:  OCLC-MARC Format Update 2010 Including RDA Changes is now available at: .  This Technical Bulletin covers all of the Library of Congress’s MARC Update 10 and most of MARC Update 11 (exceptions are noted in the TB).  Many of these changes relate to the WorldCat testing of Resource Description and Access (RDA), the proposed successor to AACR2.  Also covered are comments and requests from OCLC users and staff.

Field 041 Subfield $b Conversion

During April 2010, nearly 162,000 Bibliographic records in the Visual Materials format for filmstrips, motion pictures, slides, transparencies, and videorecordings had their 041 subfields $b converted to subfield $j.  Subfields $b in the 041 fields of other Bibliographic records were not converted.  This was a follow-up to the 2009 implementation of field 041 subfield $j for “Language code of subtitles or captions” and the redefinition of subfield $b to “Language code of summary or abstract.”  If you discover any 041 fields converted incorrectly or inadvertently skipped in this conversion, you should be able to correct them under Expert Community capabilities in most cases.  Otherwise, please report them to OCLC by any of the usual means.

French Records Further Enrich WorldCat as Global Resource                                     

There are now more than 16.3 million French records in WorldCat, following completion of batchloading projects from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), Système Universitaire de documentation (Sudoc) and the Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon (BM Lyon).  In 2009, the BnF and ABES, the agency that manages the Sudoc database for French universities, signed an agreement with OCLC to load their records and holdings information into WorldCat.  OCLC then processed more than 8.8 million records for BnF and over 7.9 million records for ABES.  The Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, the second largest public library in France, contributed more than 1.3 million records to WorldCat.  With these projects complete, there are now more than 16.3 million French-language records in WorldCat.  Just as the total number of WorldCat records has grown substantially in recent years to 175 million, the percentage of French-language records has also increased from 6.2 percent in 2007 to 9.6 percent in 2010.  In addition to the more academically focused content of the Sudoc libraries, the BnF and BM Lyon have contributed an extensive quantity of French content to WorldCat of a more diverse, general, cultural and historical nature.  As keeper of five centuries of cultural heritage, the Bibliothèque nationale de France collects, catalogues, preserves, and enriches this national heritage via legal deposit and acquisitions.  The Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon offers extensive collections for wide audiences.  A dynamic public library, it was founded by the City of Lyon in the 16th century as the library of its renowned Collège de la Trinité and became widely open to the public in 1765, 24 years before the French Revolution, when it was transformed into a repository for all local collections.  It therefore encompasses 15 centuries of knowledge starting with the Merovingian times.  Its printed heritage is worthy of the city’s role as a major centre of printing in the Renaissance.

Batch Processing Service Enhancements

As part of a multi-phase effort to make Batch Processing easier to use and more efficient, additional enhancements have been made to the service.  Previous enhancements initiated ordering through the Online Service Center (OSC) and introduced automated processing of files as they are received.  In addition to WorldCat Local, automated processing and OSC ordering have been expanded to include projects that support Group catalog, WorldCat Navigator, and WorldCat Collection Analysis.  Automated processing and OSC ordering are now available for the following standard single institution projects:  one-time reclamation projects, one-time retrospective projects, cancel holdings projects, ongoing projects.  Local Holdings Record Updating service (LHRUS) projects are now ordered via the OSC.  OSC ordering for Batch Processing services projects is now globally available.  Now it’s easier than ever for libraries to maintain current and complete holdings in WorldCat.  Accurate, up-to-date holdings information enhances the use of many OCLC products and services including:

• WorldCat Local—Use local holdings data to qualify local searching by branch or collection and enrich record displays for serials with item-specific data.
• WorldCat.org—Web access to items available in libraries.
• WorldCat Resource Sharing—Better visibility and accuracy of shared resources to lending libraries and library users.
• WorldCat cataloging—Your library participates more fully in the worldwide library community.
• WorldCat Collection Analysis—A more complete view of the collection aids collection development decisions.

Additional enhancements to the service are planned and will be announced as they become available.  OCLC Batch Processing service uses advanced technology and expert analysis to build OCLC’s WorldCat database, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources.  In 2009, 49 million new records were added to WorldCat by the Batch Processing service.  Batch Processing takes catalog records from library local systems and integrates the information into WorldCat.  WorldCat connects local library catalogs, giving library users all over the world a portal to local, regional, national, and global library resources.  For more information, visit http://www.oclc.org/us/en/batchprocessing/default.htm.

OCLC and SwissBib Launch Next Generation Meta-Catalog                                         

Swiss university libraries, the Swiss National Library, and OCLC celebrated the official launch of SwissBib, a next-generation meta-catalog.  The project has been delivered exactly one year after the initial contract was signed with OCLC to develop the system.  This brings to a close the opening phase of a development; providing quick, easy and comprehensive access to scientific information in Switzerland.  Users now have the opportunity to research 14 million title records from 740 libraries via the simple and intuitive interface of the SwissBib beta-version.  The SwissBib project comprises three integrated components from OCLC:

• At the core of development is the CBS metadata management system, which handles the data preparation and processing of records from four different consortia:  the Swiss National Library, the Library Network of German-speaking Switzerland (IDS), Library Network of Western Switzerland (RERO), and the Sistema Bibliotecario Ticinese (SBT).
• High performance searching and indexing is brought to the system by the use of FAST ESP (Enterprise Search Platform).  FAST’s scalability guarantees quick hit results despite the huge volume of data involved.
• Finally, OCLC TouchPoint provides the intuitive and easy-to-use end-user interface for the project.  Equipped with cutting-edge Web 2.0 user services, TouchPoint functionality ensures an engaging and rewarding user experience.  Features like system autonomy, customization options, a multilingual interface, and multiple views provide the flexibility demanded of such a complex initiative.

SwissBib is implemented in partnership with the library network of Western Switzerland (RERO), the Library Network of German-speaking Switzerland (IDS), the Swiss National Library, the Consortium of Swiss Academic Libraries, and the ETH-Bibliothek with the backing of the University Library of Basel.  SwissBib is one of a number of projects within an over-arching program of innovation and cooperation by Swiss universities, known as E-lib-ch.  It is funded by the Swiss University Conference.

Reference and Discovery

OCLC and Wilson to Move Database Subscriptions from FirstSearch to WilsonWeb       

OCLC and H.W. Wilson will work together to move library subscriptions for H.W. Wilson databases provided on the OCLC FirstSearch service to the WilsonWeb platform over the next 16 months.  Wilson will continue to index many of its databases in WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local, a program that began in 2008.  The commitment to work together follows an announcement that OCLC will move out of the role of hosting and reselling commercially published content.  OCLC will increase focus on partnering with publishers and other database providers to increase access to library-licensed content via WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local.  OCLC will continue to offer renewals and new subscriptions to Wilson databases on FirstSearch through July 31, 2010, and will ensure access to these databases through the library's current subscription period.  Wilson will provide libraries that subscribe to its databases on FirstSearch with parallel subscriptions on WilsonWeb at no additional charge to give FirstSearch libraries time to easily migrate to the WilsonWeb platform.  Including Wilson databases in WorldCat Local means that libraries that subscribe to Wilson databases and use WorldCat Local will continue to be able make these databases searchable as part of their WorldCat Local service.  An OCLC FAQ about FirstSearch databases is available.  OCLC and H.W. Wilson have plans in place to ensure continuity of service and support.  An FAQ concerning Wilson databases for customer support, billing, content, and platform transition is available.

Library Listings from WorldCat Added to pic2shop iPhone App                                 

iPhone users can now download the free pic2shop application to scan book barcodes and find local libraries who have them through WorldCat.  The pic2shop app is one of the original mobile apps designed for consumers who like to comparison shop.  Users scan a book barcode with their iPhone, and can compare costs to get the book at various retailers or now a local library.  The app uses the WorldCat Search API and WorldCat Registry APIs to deliver results for libraries nearby who hold the item in WorldCat, the world’s largest library catalogue.  Location and mapping information is also available.  Developed by Vision Smarts, a technology company based in Belgium, pic2shop was the first iPhone app that could read UPCs and EANs.  It broadens the availability for book barcode-scanning functionality, as it offers a free download and works on all available iPhones—even first generation models.  In addition, pic2shop works in all countries, although not all users may have nearby libraries with up-to-date holdings in WorldCat.  Vision Smarts is also developing pic2shop apps for additional platforms beyond the iPhone.  The pic2shop iPhone app is one of several mobile applications designed for users to access library information from WorldCat.  In addition to apps such as RedLaser for iPhone and Compare Everywhere for Android, the WorldCat Mobile pilot app is available for download on all Web-enabled phones in the UK, U.S., Netherlands, Germany, France, and Canada at www.worldcat.org/mobile.  WorldCat-related APIs are available to anyone interested in creating noncommercial mash-ups or mobile apps that include library data.  Commercial apps like pic2shop use the WorldCat Search API through partnership agreements.  iPhone users can download the pic2shop app at no cost through Apple’s iTunes app store in their respective counties.  The interface is currently available in English, although future translations are likely.  A video of how the pic2shop application works with WorldCat data is available on YouTube.

OCLC Partners with Gale to Expand Access to Databases through WorldCat Local            

OCLC and Gale have signed an agreement to index Gale's flagship full-text periodical databases in WorldCat Local to provide single-search access to users that subscribe to both services.  The agreement calls for OCLC to centrally index the metadata of Gale's Academic OneFile and General OneFile databases to provide WorldCat Local users a direct link to the abstracts and articles in these popular, authoritative resources.  The two databases contain some 100 million records each that connect to millions of full-text articles in both HTML and PDF from peer-reviewed journals, newspapers and magazines, as well as thousands of podcasts and transcripts.  The result is that Gale’s high-quality content, which is among the most popular in libraries, will be more visible to library patrons through WorldCat Local, and searchers no longer will need to log in to multiple interfaces or navigate numerous results sets to find and get to the information they need.  Gale joins a growing list of OCLC eContent partners that have agreed to have their databases indexed in WorldCat Local.  These institutions are collaborating on a global scale to ensure that library users can find and access the valuable, authoritative content in their local libraries, in regional libraries and through the OCLC network of WorldCat libraries worldwide.  Today, more than 100 databases, 420 million article records, and numerous digital library collections, including Google Book Search and HathiTrust, are combined with the 170 million items cataloged in WorldCat to provide libraries using WorldCat Local a rich and growing index that represents the combined print, electronic and digital collections of the OCLC membership.  WorldCat Local is the service that combines the cooperative power of OCLC member libraries worldwide with the ability to use WorldCat.org as a solution for local discovery and delivery services.  WorldCat Local provides a powerful discovery environment that includes a locally branded Web page and single search box, and presents localized results first while at the same time allowing the user to search the entire WorldCat database.  Since August 2009, users of WorldCat Local have been able to search content found in OCLC electronic resource services—OCLC FirstSearch databases, NetLibrary eBooks and eAudiobooks, Electronic Collections Online eJournals, ArchiveGrid archival collection descriptions, and CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online)—from the WorldCat Local search box.  The Gale partnership continues these efforts by adding content from non-OCLC sources, giving libraries a full-featured way to easily connect information seekers with the materials they need.  OCLC is expanding the central index to include resources from other familiar content providers that are most used by libraries today.  Over time, the central index will provide access to the majority of available content, and will be complemented by searching remote indexes to incorporate the diverse materials libraries make available to their users.

WorldCat Mobile Pilot Recent Enhancements                                                                  

The WorldCat Mobile pilot functionality has been enhanced with two new features:  cover art for select items and links to a local library catalog.  Now in its second year with more than 117,267 searches sent from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, the WorldCat Mobile pilot continues to provide library results for 1.4 billion items to mobile and smart phone users at no cost.  Cover art is now displayed on an item’s detailed record when artwork is available, and a link to the selected library’s catalog is also now enabled.  As one of the most-requested features from user feedback, this new functionality means a user can potentially check shelf status, place a hold, or reserve an item through their mobile phone at their local library.  The WorldCat Mobile pilot makes library results available for all Web-enabled mobile phones in either a standalone, downloadable app or a simple Web “lite” browser form.  If your phone accepts apps, it will prompt you for download or you may find the WorldCat app in the representative app stores.  Otherwise, the browser version will display when you type www.worldcat.org/m from your mobile phone.  All libraries—regardless of OCLC membership status—are represented in the WorldCat Mobile pilot, as long as they maintain a library profile in the WorldCat Registry.  The WorldCat Registry profile is a free service made available to help raise the visibility of all libraries on behalf of the OCLC cooperative and the library community as a whole.  The WorldCat Mobile pilot is powered by the WorldCat Search API and created and maintained by Boopsie, a leader in mobile search technology.

WorldCat Search API Now Supports Limited JSON Output

The WorldCat Search API has been enhanced to support the JSON format option for library location (holdings data).  This format option for library holdings data is helpful for developers who want to supply a list of nearby WorldCat libraries that hold the materials in question.  The JSON holdings format provides some very brief bibliographic information along with structured data describing holding libraries, including the familiar values from the current XML response . Find more information on the JSON holdings format in their documentation .  Additional recent enhancements to the WorldCat Search API include the addition of South African postal codes and fixes for the following entities:  OCLC symbols that include “@” in the symbol name, the “any” relation operator, and SRU errors with quotation marks.  Developers everywhere are encouraged to exercise their creativity to create new mash-ups that make use of WorldCat data through the WorldCat Search API, WorldCat Basic API, building WorldCat.org links, and other WorldCat widgets.  OCLC Web Services continue to offer ways to connect people with knowledge through libraries, and for libraries to reap the benefits of library cooperation.  To join the OCLC Developer Network conversation, join the WC-DEVNET-L listserv, read the OCLC Developer Network blog, and follow @oclcldevnet.

QuestionPoint and Mosio's Text a Librarian Announce Collaboration                    

OCLC and Mosio are working together to enable seamless integration of Mosio’s Text a Librarian text messaging reference software with OCLC’s QuestionPoint reference management service to provide a comprehensive virtual reference solution for libraries.  OCLC and Mosio are exploring solutions to the demands of a mobile world and the need for libraries to be able to communicate with their patrons online and on-the-go.   QuestionPoint’s reference management suite that includes email, online chat, and chat widgets combined with Mosio’s Web-based Text a Librarian service for text messaging would offer patrons more virtual reference options and provide libraries increased efficiencies in managing patron inquiries in a single place.  The integration of Text a Librarian with QuestionPoint services will begin with libraries based in the United States.  Text a Librarian is a mobile reference service technology developed specifically for libraries.  Built on Mosio’s award-winning mobile questions and answers platform, Text a Librarian enables libraries to reach more patrons on the go through their mobile phones.  Find more information regarding Text a Librarian.

JSTOR Now Indexed in WorldCat.org                                                                                    

Authenticated scholars and researchers with online access to full-text content in JSTOR can now locate and connect to articles through WorldCat.org.  Over 4.5 million JSTOR article-level records from more than 1,000 journals, selected monographs, and other scholarly content are now indexed in WorldCat.org, the Web destination for discovery of materials in libraries worldwide.  JSTOR records are delivered in WorldCat.org search results.  Scholars and researchers using WorldCat.org can now identify content in JSTOR and connect to the full-text using the authorization provided by their library.  WorldCat.org is a Web destination with search and social networking features that allow information seekers to discover, localize, and personalize content from local collections and those of more than 10,000 WorldCat libraries worldwide.  WorldCat.org indexing of JSTOR metadata helps researchers easily identify resources in the collection alongside other materials relevant to their work.  An authorization is required for access to full-text materials in JSTOR.

RedLaser iPhone App and WorldCat Find Books in Local Libraries                            

iPhone users can now download the RedLaser application to scan a barcode on a book and find that book in a nearby library using data from WorldCat, the world's largest online database of records representing items held in libraries.  RedLaser, developed by Occipital, of Boulder, Colorado, is a barcode scanning application and technology for the iPhone, available through the Apple App Store.  The RedLaser app, which is currently among the top 25 paid apps in the App Store, turns the iPhone camera into a barcode scanner.  For book barcodes, the app uses WorldCat APIs to deliver localized U.S. library results based on the user’s geolocation, providing library holdings, library location, contact, and map information.  WorldCat APIs are available to anyone interested in creating noncommercial mash-ups or mobile apps that include library data.  Commercial apps like RedLaser use the WorldCat Search API through a simple partnership agreement.  OCLC also offers several other mobile applications and access points to library information from WorldCat.  The WorldCat Mobile pilot app is available for download on a variety of Web-enabled phones in the U.K., U.S., Netherlands, Germany, France, and Canada at www.worldcat.org/mobile.  A version of the WorldCat Mobile pilot app is also available for use on all Android phones, including the Motorola Droid and the new Google Nexus One.

QuestionPoint Knowledge Bases Offered as a Web Service 

QuestionPoint knowledge bases can now be accessed via other interfaces through the use of the web service search query and data record link.  Searches can be posted and limited by any of the parameters on the QuestionPoint Advanced Search page.  Search results can be rendered in xml or html for flexible implementation by various search engines.  Text and json formats are also output options.  With the addition of a few simple lines of code to your existing web-based search service, you and your patrons can search the Global Knowledge Base and/or your institution's local QuestionPoint knowledge base using a familiar interface.  Each question in the list of questions retrieved from a search is hot-linked to a specific KB record, which includes the answer and whatever additional data your library has elected to store there.  Any KB full record can also be retrieved directly, which enables you to populate, for example, a FAQ page on your library's website with answers from your local KB.

Management Services and Systems

Athens Authentication Options from OCLC Remain Solid

With a number of authentication options available to libraries, OCLC pledges to continue its support for current content platforms.  OCLC will continue to support Athens authentication for the existing NetLibrary and FirstSearch platforms.  Future forward OCLC platforms such as WorldCat.org will be Shibboleth compliant, though not Athens compliant.  However, OCLC member and participating libraries using the Eduserv OpenAthens framework will benefit from the gateway functionality that can pass authentication from Athens to Shibboleth.  In this way, institutions that subscribe to OpenAthens will also be able to access future OCLC services, because the OpenAthens gateway will translate from Athens on the library side to Shibboleth on the OCLC side.  The EZproxy service from OCLC is also available as an alternative authentication option that is used by thousands of libraries worldwide.  A hosted version of EZproxy is currently in pilot mode.

Content and Collections

EBSCO Publishing to Acquire NetLibrary Division from OCLC

OCLC and EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) have signed an agreement whereby EBSCO will purchase the assets of the OCLC NetLibrary Division and the rights to license a select number of vendor-owned databases currently available through the OCLC FirstSearch service.  The purchase includes the NetLibrary eBook and eAudiobook platform as well as operations and infrastructure in Boulder, Colorado.  NetLibrary eBook content and eAudiobook subscriptions will continue to be available on the NetLibrary platform.  EBSCO plans to provide access to the NetLibrary eBook content on the EBSCOhost® platform, one of the most used eContent platforms, creating a comprehensive integrated eBook and database service.  NetLibrary eBooks will also continue to be discoverable through WorldCat.org.  OCLC purchased the assets of NetLibrary in 2002 from bankruptcy in order to protect libraries’ investments in eBook content purchases, and to explore the potential of eBooks for libraries during the early days of eContent and the Web.  OCLC members and publisher partners pioneered new eBook platforms, new purchase and licensing models and built a global shared eBook service for tens of thousands of libraries worldwide.  OCLC has partnered with EBSCO to ensure even greater access to the important eBook resources of libraries.  OCLC's commitment to protecting libraries' investment in NetLibrary eBooks continues.  All NetLibrary eBooks purchased by libraries will be placed in a dark archive—the OCLC eBook Archive—at least through March 2013.  Just as OCLC protected member libraries' investments with the acquisition of NetLibrary in 2002, the agreement with EBSCO ensures that all NetLibrary eBooks purchased by libraries continue to be secure.  EBSCO will provide OCLC MARC records for applicable eBooks to libraries free of charge and will ensure continued visibility of these important collections in WorldCat.org.  EBSCO plans to maintain the popular eBook content purchase model and will explore eBook subscription options.  Thousands of libraries also subscribe to Recorded Books eAudiobooks on the NetLibrary platform.  This service will continue as EBSCO and Recorded Books will partner to provide access and new eAudiobook content on the NetLibrary platform.  EBSCO has also purchased the rights to license certain vendor-owned databases that are currently available via FirstSearch.  Existing FirstSearch subscribers will continue to receive access to these databases on the FirstSearch service through the end of their current subscriptions.  In order that customers experience an ideal transition to EBSCOhost following the current subscription period, pending approval of database owners, EBSCOhost access to these databases will be activated to run in parallel with FirstSearch access for the remainder of the current subscription.  OCLC will continue to deliver important library content via the FirstSearch platform.  The WorldCat database, the WorldCat base package of databases and databases of primarily library owned content will continue to be offered through both FirstSearch and WorldCat.org.  In 2008, OCLC expanded the visibility of FirstSearch databases by providing coverage of all FirstSearch content on both the FirstSearch platform and WorldCat.org.  OCLC and EBSCO have put in place processes to ensure continuity of service and support.  FAQs for customer and member support, ordering, billing, and service transition is available at FirstSearch frequently asked questions and Ebsco Support Knowledgebase .  Moving forward, OCLC will concentrate new development resources on enhancing and expanding WorldCat services and developing new services to streamline and lower costs of library management workflows.  OCLC will continue to increase investment levels in support of valued library cataloging and resource sharing services.  OCLC will also continue to build partnerships with publishers, library content developers and other content aggregators to provide maximum discoverability of a library’s complete collection through WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local.

OCLC Joins Open Identity Exchange                                                                                       

OCLC will join Open Identity Exchange (OIX) as a founding member to support Internet-scale trust ecosystems.  OCLC will serve on the board of the OIX and will support the organization's initiative to develop an Open Trust Framework Model.  Trust frameworks enable a site to trust the identity, security, and privacy assurances from an identity provider acting on behalf of the party revealing information.  The OIX will ensure that identity providers meet the requirements of a framework and comply with all of the privacy, security, and reliability policies.  The US Government Information and Credential Access Management Committee, GSA ICAM, has approved the application of the Open Identity Exchange (OIX) as a Trust Framework Provider.  This permits the OIX to issue certifications to Identity Providers who choose assessors and certification models including the audited self-certification model championed by the OpenID Foundation.  The lead government agency, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is ready to move into production status with OpenID credentials at LOA 1 for existing, pilot-status and future apps using NIH Login (now known as iTrust/NIH).  The Open Identity Exchange (OIX) is a neutral, non-profit, multi-channel provider of certification trust frameworks for open identity technologies.  OIX was founded by grants from the OpenID and Information Card Foundations and support from companies including Google, PayPal, VeriSign, and Equifax.  Find more information about OIX.

NetLibrary eBooks Compatible with Popular eBook Readers                                     

OCLC NetLibrary, the leading provider of eContent solutions for libraries, currently offers more than 140,000 PDF titles that are compatible with the Barnes & Noble nook, Sony's Daily Edition, and other devices including all four Sony Digital Readers (PRS-300, 505, 600 and 700BC), as well as the COOL-ER.  Titles available in the NetLibrary catalog include current bestsellers, award-winners, and timeless classics, and cover subject categories ranging from fiction to business to personal growth and more.  OCLC NetLibrary uses the Adobe Content Server to provide offline eReader capability to library users.  Adobe Content Server is integrated with the OCLC NetLibrary platform to offer users seamless offline access to the library's existing NetLibrary collections, providing library users a single point of access to eBook content for online and offline use.  Users who have established a NetLibrary account can log in, download selected titles to their computers, and transfer them to supported devices using Adobe Digital Editions.  NetLibrary offers comprehensive collections in all core subject areas including humanities, physical sciences, technology, medicine, and literature.  Libraries can choose from tens of thousands of frontlist and best-selling trade titles; ready reference materials, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, and handbooks; and resources for students, teachers, and faculty.  NetLibrary also offers services and tools to help libraries streamline acquisitions, integrate eBooks into an integrated library system, and facilitate discovery of collections.  For more information on portable solutions available from OCLC NetLibrary, and to view available collections visit www.oclc.org/ebooks/Go_portable/.

A New Way to Access the OAIster Database                                                                      

OCLC is pleased to announce that a freely accessible site for searching only OAIster records is now available.  With this OAIster site, you are able to search only OAIster and its millions of metadata records.  OAIster records will continue to be indexed in WorldCat.org, and will be integrated in WorldCat.org search results along with records from thousands of libraries worldwide.  They will also be included in WorldCat Local and WorldCat Local “quick start” search results.  Additionally, they will continue to be available on the OCLC FirstSearch service to base package subscribers, providing another valuable access point for this rich database and a complement to other FirstSearch databases.  OAIster is a union catalog of digital resources hosted at the University of Michigan since 2002.  Launched with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, OAIster was developed to test the feasibility of building a portal to open-archive collections using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH).  In 2009, OCLC formed a partnership with the University of Michigan in order to provide continued access to open-archive collections through the OAIster database.  OAIster has grown to become one of the world’s largest aggregations of records pointing to open-archive collections with more than 23 million records contributed by over 1,100 organizations worldwide.

Resource Sharing and Delivery

WorldCat Registry and Policies Directory Now Integrated>

The OCLC Policies Directory is the repository of interlibrary loan policies for WorldCat Resource Sharing libraries.  The new, completely redesigned version of the Policies Directory released 2010 January 11 is now also integrated with the WorldCat Registry.  Information such as institution name, type, location, catalog, home page, lending URLs, and FEIN are shared between the Policies Directory and WorldCat Registry.  This means that a library need only update information in one place in the WorldCat Registry, and the changes will be reflected in the Policies Directory within an hour.  The Policies Directory is your source for detailed lending information that will help improve your chances of obtaining materials that you request.  You can review the lending and copying policies of other libraries participating in WorldCat Resource Sharing, as well as their billing, system, and contact information.  Use this information to choose potential lenders, publish your own policies in the Web-based Directory, and reduce the number of unfillable requests you receive.  The Policies Directory also allows you to deflect requests that you cannot fill so that they will bypass your library and reduce processing time.

Digital Collection Services

OCLC Adding Records to WorldCat for Google Books and HathiTrust Collections 

OCLC is adding records to WorldCat that represent digitized books from the Google Books Library Project and the HathiTrust Digital Library to provide greater access to and increased visibility of these rich digitized collections.  OCLC is working with libraries, Google and the HathiTrust to derive new MARC records that represent these digital collections based on the rich collection of print records contributed to WorldCat by the OCLC membership over the last 40 years.  Searchers will begin seeing these records in WorldCat immediately.  OCLC will continue to add records for these collections to WorldCat on an ongoing basis.  WorldCat searchers will be able to locate digitized books from these collections and link to the associated book landing page, and in some cases can access the full text of eBooks available through these significant initiatives.  As a digital repository for the nation's great research libraries, the HathiTrust Digital Library brings together the immense collections of partner institutions.  HathiTrust was conceived as a collaboration of the 13 universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation and the University of California system to establish a repository for these universities to archive and share their digitized collections.  More about HathiTrust.  OCLC and the HathiTrust are working together to implement a public interface for the HathiTrust catalog through a WorldCat Local interface, to be introduced later in 2010.

Library Schools May Receive CONTENTdm for Their Students at No Cost 

For more than a decade, OCLC has supported library students and library schools through our Library and Information Science (LIS) Education Program.  The goals of this program are to help students put theory into practice by giving them hands-on experience and access to many services and software that are used in today’s library environment, and to reduce the time and cost that libraries spend on training new staff members.  Approximately 2,000 libraries, museums, and archives use the CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software.  Today, we work with 25 library schools to provide students with experience building and managing digital collections.  With a fundamental understanding of database design, digitization and born-digital file formats and metadata standards, students can build on skills needed to successfully manage digital assets.  OCLC provides a CONTENTdm server for each instructor, including 25 user accounts, storage for up to 300 digital collections, software maintenance and upgrades and more—all at no cost to the participating schools.  Also included is the CONTENTdm Hosting Services, where OCLC staff host and manage the CONTENTdm installation for each university, rather than the university allocating the staff and resources needed to run it on their own local server.  OCLC offers all of the necessary operational support related to CONTENTdm hardware and software.  CONTENTdm offers a unique teaching vehicle for examining many of the latest technologies, tools, standards, and contemporary issues that today’s libraries and other cultural heritage organizations frequently have to consider and manage.  Learn more about the CONTENTdm in the LIS Classroom Program.

Blue Ribbon Task Force Issues Final Report                                                                        

Addressing one of the most urgent societal challenges of the Information Age—ensuring that valued digital information will be accessible not just today, but in the future—requires solutions that are at least as much economic and social as technical, according to a new report by a Blue Ribbon Task Force.  The Final Report from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Sustainable Digital Preservation and Access, called “Sustainable Economics for a Digital Planet:  Ensuring Long-term Access to Digital Information,” is the result of a two-year effort focusing on the critical economic challenges of preserving an ever-increasing amount of information in a world gone digital.  The full report is available online.  While much has been written on the digital preservation issue as a technical challenge, the Blue Ribbon Task Force report focuses on the economic aspect; i.e. how stewards of valuable, digitally-based information can pay for preservation over the longer term.  The report provides general principles and actions to support long-term economic sustainability; context-specific recommendations tailored to specific scenarios analyzed in the report; and an agenda for priority actions and next steps, organized according to the type of decision maker best suited to carry that action forward.  Moreover, the report is intended to serve as a foundation for further study in this critical area.  The Blue Ribbon Task Force was launched in late 2007 by the National Science Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the Library of Congress, the Joint Information Systems Committee of the United Kingdom, the Council on Library and Information Resources, and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Texas Libraries and Museums Partner to Create the HeirLoom Project                 

The HeirLoom Project, housed at the Texas A&M University-Commerce, James Gee Library, is the result of a partnership with twelve rural public libraries and museums in Northeast Texas.  The goal of the project is to share the expertise and technology of Texas A&M University-Commerce to make previously unknown local historical collections available to the public via the Web.  The university offers training and workshops to its partners on topics including basic preservation principles, scanning, CONTENTdm software use, oral history interviewing, and digital copy photography.  In addition, the project’s intern visits each partner library to assess their collections, to distribute preservation advice and materials, and to train individuals on how to use the software to edit and upload their material into the digital library.  CONTENTdm, the main software the HeirLoom Project uses, allows the university and each individual partner to collect, store and share information with each other.  More importantly, it gives the university's partner libraries the ability to put their previously unknown and unused collections online for easy access to researchers.  This enables collection access to thousands of people by any internet connection without having to physically handle the object and risk damage to the item(s).  All local historical collections are digitally housed on the internet in the Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries Digital Collections library.  This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.  Already in its second year of funding, the project is currently focusing on locating African American history resources, including photographs, documents, and oral histories.

WebJunction

Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania Added to WebJunction

WebJunction, the leader in online learning for library staff, is working with the State Library of North Carolina, the Missouri State Library, and HSLC/Access PA to launch three new state sites, WebJunction–North Carolina, WebJunction–Missouri and WebJunction–Pennsylvania.  Library staff in these states now have access to courses, articles, discussions, and a professional network that will keep their skills up-to-date and help their libraries stay relevant to current user needs.  As part of these online learning communities, members will connect with people from across the library community using social and professional networking tools; create and publish their own content; participate in discussions and form interest groups; take courses on a wide range of technology and library skill subjects; and engage in an online community experience that makes learning fun.  Visit these WebJunction partner sites on the Web:  WebJunction–Missouri ; WebJunction–North Carolina ; and WebJunction–Pennsylvania.  To see a complete list of links to WebJunction partner communities, visit www.webjunction.org/partners.

OCLC Research

OCLC Researchers Analyze, Synthesize Studies of the Digital Information Seeker

OCLC Research scientists, in partnership with JISC, have analyzed and synthesized 12 separate studies to make it easier for information professionals to better understand information-seeking behaviors of library users and to review the issues associated with the development of information services and systems that will best meet these users' needs.  The Digital Information Seeker:  Report of Findings From Selected OCLC, RIN and JISC User Behaviour Projects, by Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. and Timothy J. Dickey, Ph.D., OCLC Research, was funded by JISC, and was presented during the JISC Annual Conference in London in April 2010.  The 12 selected studies were commissioned and/or supported by non-profit organizations and government agencies, and were reviewed by Dr. Connaway and Dr. Dickey who analyzed the findings, compared their analyses, and identified the overlapping and contradictory findings.  A synthesis of findings from these major user studies points toward a number of implications for libraries that are shared by multiple studies, including:

• Library systems must do better at providing seamless access to resources.
• Librarians must increasingly consider a greater variety of digital formats and content.
• Library systems and content must be prepared for changing user behaviors.
• Library systems need to look and function more like search engines, i.e., Google and Yahoo, and Web services, i.e., Amazon.com, since these are familiar to users who are comfortable and confident in using them.
• High-quality metadata is becoming more important for discovery of appropriate resources.
• The library must advertise its brand, its value, and its resources better within the community.

There are many more published user behavior studies than the 12 included in this synopsis and analysis, according to the study.  This study was an attempt to review major, funded studies that were published within the last five years and that specifically addressed electronic content, users' perceptions of their information-seeking behaviors, and library catalogues.  In addition, an emphasis was placed on studies of U.K. users.  This analysis provided an opportunity to identify the common findings as well as the contradictory findings.  The full text of The Digital Information Seeker:  Report of Findings From Selected OCLC, RIN and JISC User Behaviour Projects can be found on the JISC Web site

NFAIS Names Lorcan Dempsey as 2010 Miles Conrad Lecturer

The National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS), the premier membership association for organizations that create, aggregate, organize, and facilitate access to authoritative information, has announced that Lorcan Dempsey, Vice President, Research and Chief Strategist, OCLC was presented with the prestigious Miles Conrad Award on March 1, 2010 at the NFAIS 52nd Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The objective of the Miles Conrad Memorial Lecture, established in 1965 in commemoration of NFAIS founder, G. Miles Conrad, is to recognize and honor those members of the Information Community who have made significant contributions to the field of information science and to NFAIS itself.  Born in Dublin, Ireland, Dempsey worked there in public libraries for several years.  He later served as Director of UKOLN (formerly known as The United Kingdom Office for Library and Information Networking), a national UK research and policy unit hosted by the University of Bath.  He subsequently worked for the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), also in the UK, overseeing national information programs and services and providing the framework that has shaped the UK Higher Education national information environment.  He left JISC in 2001 to join OCLC in Dublin, Ohio as Vice President, Research, and was subsequently named Chief Strategist.  Dempsey writes and speaks internationally and his extensive public presentations and formal published writings have a huge audience.  His commentary on the current information environment can be followed on his weblog and on Twitter.  He recently stepped down as a member of the NISO Board and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.  He is on advisory committees for Cambridge University Library, CISTI, Europeana, and Ithaka among a range of engagements.  He also is a co-founder of the Web-based Ariadne Magazine.