WorldShare Management Services is a completely new way to deliver library services. The user will not be aware that all transactions are taking place off-campus at the headquarters of OCLC in Columbus, Ohio. When it was founded in 1971, OCLC was originally the Ohio College Library Center, but it has grown to become the world’s most influential source of bibliographic information, with over 1.8 billion holdings from 72,000 libraries in 170 countries.

Lawrence Tech has been a contributing member of OCLC since 1977, and nearly all of its cataloging records have been imported from OCLC. These records are also the primary source of sharing books and articles among libraries and are the basis for the library’s current interlibrary loan system.

“We have decided to parlay this relationship with OCLC into a stronger one and become the WorldShare Management Services' next new member, among the very first libraries in Michigan and the Midwest to do so,” Library Director Gary Cocozzoli explained.

Although the library’s Sirsi system is robust, continuing with Sirsi would require an investment in replacement parts for the system, additional payments for new services like mobile apps, and the acquisition of at least one new server. The current TechCat catalog software is no longer being supported and would have to be replaced before any further system upgrades could take place.

With that in mind, the librarians started to consider other systems, including open-source software. Nothing seemed ideal until the newly created WorldShare Management Services became available for libraries in late 2011.

WorldShare Management Services streamlines the entire library process starting with the order of an item, the finding of the item, and the item’s checkout and return. It requires little to no campus maintenance, no servers and no special equipment. Lawrence Tech’s IT support staff will be free to assist the library with new services rather than slogging through day-to-day backups, dealing with technical issues, and going through the difficult process of upgrading the software at least once a year. All that will be taken care of by OCLC.

As WorldShare Management Services members develop new applications, other members can share these “apps.” WorldShare Management Services is standards-based and its members work together to create a library system that is functional and efficient. “The idea of working together with other OCLC WorldShare libraries is an exciting aspect of this move,” Cocozzoli said.

OCLC WorldShare Management Services also adds a Discovery platform, a white-hot new concept in the library world.

“Imagine searching one interface and getting all of LTU’s books, all of the books from other libraries, and journal articles from the majority of LTU’s 100- plus databases all at the same time through a single common interface,” Cocozzoli said. “If LTU does not own the book or article, the request can be placed for an interlibrary loan right from the interface.”

A Discovery platform as a stand-alone software would be extremely expensive to introduce, but one will be included with LTU’s subscription to WorldShare Management Services.

Initially, not all of LTU’s 101 databases will be in WorldShare Management Services, but the majority will. All of the current databases will still be searchable through their native interfaces.

This OCLC News Item is from the Lawrence Technological University's article, “New WorldShare system will supercharge library services.” Published on the web, it was used with permission from the Managing Editor, University News Bureau, Lawrence Technological University. The original story is available on the Lawrence Technological University website at: http://technews.ltu.edu/index.php/2012/02/29/new-worldshare-system-will-supercharge-library-services/

Gregg A. Silvis,
Assistant Director for
Library Computing
Systems at the
University of Delaware

To reinvest in libraries.

During a recent Library Journal Webcast Event, Gregg A. Silvis, Assistant Director for Library Computing Systems at the University of Delaware, discussed his library’s selection of OCLC WorldShare™ Management Services. 

The impending demise of the local OPAC
Over the years, I’ve given a presentation called, “The Impending Demise of the Local OPAC”—why we came to have these local OPACs, and why they were going to go away. Libraries throughout the world are duplicating efforts, such as loading records, indexing, backing up data, as well as authority control, user interface design, system maintenance—the list goes on. And in replacing the printed card catalog with electronic records, libraries have perpetuated the redundancies that existed in the print environment. The current infrastructure was premised on—and designed for—the local loading of bibliographic records.

Thankfully, things have changed. For the University of Delaware Library, the path to WorldShare Management Services began in August 2008, when we implemented WorldCat Local. In late 2011, we discussed the possibility of the WorldCat knowledge base and License Manager—but then made the decision to go with WorldShare Management Services and License Manager. Our implementation is scheduled for July 2013.

Why OCLC WorldShare Management Services?

We wanted to provide our users a better discovery experience. And we had, just like everyone else, problems with silos. We have DSpace, we have OCLC’s CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software, this library is an early adopter of ARTstor Shared Shelf Commons, and we have special collections finding aids, in addition to all of the licensed databases.  So the goal was—to whatever extent possible—bring as many of these resources as possible to one easily searchable place—fully recognizing that all of the functionality in every database won’t be able to be duplicated, but at least it was a good starting place.

We wanted to reduce duplication of effort. We wanted to reduce the amount of time that library staff spend on duplicated efforts, and it’s my firm conviction that the future of libraries will not be found in commodity records for commodity books. What we really need to focus on is our special and unique materials.

We wanted to meet library priorities. So in avoiding duplication of effort, we can now deploy staff for other needs and other purposes in the library. Shortly after we decided to go with WorldShare Management Services, we made the decision in this library to discontinue doing local authority control. We had a number of staff dedicated to local authority control and subject headings and all of that in the local system, and it occurred to us, that in the move to WorldShare Management Services, it didn’t really make sense for us to be doing that any more. So we reassigned some of those staff to do special collections cataloging. We assigned another staff member to work in the Center for Digital Collections to digitize materials. Like many other libraries, we have a local A–Z journal list that we maintain and we are questioning if we really need to do things like that in house any more, if we can rely on WorldShare Management Services and the WorldCat knowledge base to support that function. So what we’ve really done is reexamine the workflow in technical services, particularly for e-resources.

Reinvesting in the cooperative—reinvesting in libraries
It’s very important to me that OCLC WorldShare Management Services represent a reinvestment in the OCLC cooperative. We are, of course, reinvesting our maintenance dollars into the cooperative, rather than our maintenance dollars going outside the library system to private individuals, to equity firms, to stockholders—they are being reinvested in the library cooperative. And it’s not just financial, but also our staff resources. With things like the APIs (application programming interfaces) that will be available in WorldShare Management Services, we will be able to build services that other libraries will be able to use, rather than having them custom-made for our systems here, which will enable us to allow other people to use these resources.  

Slides and audio recording are available online.

The article, which is titled "Implementing a new cloud computing library management service," is the story of how Pepperdine University migrated its library management functions to the cloud using what is now known as OCLC’s WorldShare Management Services (WMS).

This implementation story is told from two vantage points: that of the library and that of the service provider.

Authors Michael Dula and Lynne Jacobsen of Pepperdine University Libraries and Tyler Ferguson and Rob Ross of OCLC were the principal collaborators for this pilot project, which took place between June and December 2010. In this article, the authors outline the stages of adopting and deploying OCLC WMS. The process described and the advice shared, however, apply to the adoption of other systems as well.

Read the full article from the January/February 2012 issue of Computers in Libraries, published by Information Today, Inc.

Used with permission. All rights reserved. Individuals may download, store, and print a single copy. All commercial uses, including making printed copies for distribution in bulk at trade shows or in marketing campaigns and all commercial reprints require additional permission from the publisher. www. infotoday.com

The Sydney center employs state-of-the-art technologies to ensure high levels of performance, reliability, scalability and cost-effectiveness. Key facilities features include high performance Internet services with multiple service providers to ensure efficient routing, fully redundant heating and cooling systems, continuous power from multiple sources, and best of breed security controls and practices.

In addition, the new center enables OCLC to comply with access and data privacy requirements in Australia and New Zealand and adhere to technical standards that promote the cost-effective, worldwide sharing of information across platforms, scripts, languages and cultural materials.  OCLC recently obtained its ISO 27001 certification which bolsters the position of trust in OCLC-hosted solutions and will assure the security of member data.

"Our infrastructure strategy for global delivery requires that we offer services from multiple data centers," said Gene Oliver, Executive Director, Systems Management, OCLC. "This center allows us to provide cloud-based services in Australia and New Zealand. It also enables us to meet statutory and regulatory requirements and provide the high levels of system availability, security and performance that libraries have come to expect from OCLC. We've brought the best of people, process and technology together to meet our technical requirements while making the operation as green as possible."

"Service and support are two key factors in how Australian and New Zealand libraries choose services," said Chris Thewlis, OCLC Regional Manager, Australia. "This new data center illustrates a commitment to build and connect a larger community of libraries in this part of the world to the OCLC global cooperative."

The new data center will support the introduction of OCLC WorldShare Management Services, a new cloud-based approach to managing library services cooperatively that gives libraries more time to serve community needs. WorldShare Management Services provides the tools to streamline library workflows, reduce costs and provide new opportunities for collaboration—to connect knowledge in new ways from a globally linked network of library collections to today’s digitally empowered user.

Eight Australian libraries will begin pilot testing OCLC WorldShare Management Services later this month.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat on the Web at www.worldcat.org. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.

The San Juan Island Library plans to implement OCLC WorldShare Management Services by the end of 2012. Marjorie Harrison, Library Director, said the decision to select WorldShare Management Services was based on the seamless integration of the services and the potential to streamline processes and lower costs.

"We chose WorldShare Management Services because we appreciated the fact that everything was interconnected," says Ms. Harrison. "We wanted to save staff time and make discovery of our items and others' items easier for our patrons. WorldShare Management Services could offer us the tools to meet these objectives."

Ms. Harrison will share her library's story during a special OCLC event at the 2012 Public Library Association Conference in Philadelphia. The event, which will illustrate how libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services are able to reduce the time needed for traditional tasks and free staff time for higher-priority services, will be held Thursday, March 15, from 1:30–3 p.m. in the Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, Salons II–III.

Union County Public Library also plans to implement WorldShare Management Services by the end of this year. Library Director Martie Smith said that her staff is excited to transition to a solution that will "give us the ability to take the library beyond the walls of our buildings, and will give the public better opportunities to find our resources, whether they are traditional library users or not. We are looking forward to more proactively serving our communities," she said.

OCLC WorldShare Management Services provide libraries with a new approach to managing library services cooperatively, including integrated acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, resource sharing, license management and patron administration, as well as a next-gen discovery tool for library users. The services enable libraries to share infrastructure costs and resources, as well as collaborate in ways that free them from the restrictions of local hardware and software.

OCLC WorldShare Management Services were released for general availability July 1, 2011. Today, more than 35 libraries are live with WorldShare Management Services and the number of libraries worldwide committed to using OCLC WorldShare Management Services is more than 180.
More about OCLC WorldShare Management Services can be found on the OCLC website.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources.Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC website.

In addition, enhancements to integrated OCLC services—such as WorldCat Local and the WorldCat knowledge base—also provide benefits to WMS users.

True to the WorldShare global focus and commitment, an additional data center is planned for operation in Australia in March and WorldShare Management Services has new currency options for the Acquisitions workflow.

Highlights of this comprehensive release:

• Provided at no additional charge to WMS users, support for the SIP2 protocol for self-check machines has been added.
• Consortial functionality in the WorldCat knowledge base is available so groups can share both collections and library holdings with all members.
• Content additions have been made to WorldCat Local – the single-search discovery and user interface for WorldShare Management Services. New agreements with leading publishers around the world have added important new content and collections to WorldCat Local. Users now have access to more than 1,700 databases and collections, and more than 650 million articles.
• Full-text searching of IEEE content through WorldCat Local follows the addition of full-text content from IEEE to the WorldCat Local central index. Also supported is full-text searching within the BioOne and Emerald collections and new content from additional sources will be added on an ongoing basis.

Coming soon will be the ability for libraries to grant specific patrons (e.g., subject matter selectors) the right to submit a list of titles via WorldCat Local for purchase consideration. The list creates a standard purchase order in WorldShare Acquisitions that can be approved and submitted according to library procedures.

Many additional enhancements for Circulation, Acquisitions, and other functional areas are described in detail in the complete Release Notes on the User Support Center (login required).

OCLC WorldShare Management Services provide libraries with a new approach to managing library services cooperatively, including integrated acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, resource sharing, license management and patron administration, as well as a next-gen discovery tool for library users.

Jennifer Clarke, Assistant Director of Library Collection Development & Access Services, Bucknell University, shares her staff’s expectations and reactions to moving to OCLC WorldShare Management Services. Bucknell University, located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, is the largest liberal arts university in the U.S. Founded in 1846, it currently serves 3,400 undergraduate students, and 150 graduate students, and employs approximately 350 faculty members. The merged library/IT department has 80 staff, 25 of whom are dedicated to the library.

Jennifer Clarke,
Assistant Director
of Library Collection
Development &
Access Services,
Bucknell University

In July 2010, OCLC approached us about becoming an early adopter for OCLC WorldShare Management Services (formerly named OCLC Web-scale Management Services). We relayed this invitation to our Vice President for Library and Information Technology, who wanted to know more. He wanted to know what OCLC’s policies for privacy and data security were, he requested a cost-benefits analysis, and he wanted to know what our back-up plan was. He also wanted to learn about OCLC’s service-level agreement. Once we satisfied his initial requirements, we took these findings to our university council.

According to our calculations, the savings would be significant—tens of thousands of dollars significant. The other questions were also answered and the move to WorldShare Management Services was a go.

By early January 2011, there were only a few obstacles we needed to overcome in order to reach an agreement: WorldShare Management Services had to be able to provide CAS authentication; it had to support our Summon feed; and we needed to go live by June 30, 2011 so our staff could get the necessary experience in order to be prepared for students’ return for the fall semester. And together with OCLC, we achieved each one of these requirements.

Bucknell University, Bertrand Library

Getting started…
We started the process by participating in training and webinars that amounted to 3–4 hours per week, for 10 weeks. These meetings included webinars with our WorldShare Management Services cohort—member libraries with similar timeframes for implementation. We also held internal meetings to review and revise policies and procedures.

When asked about impressions of the data migration portion of the process, our Systems Librarian, Bill Burkholder, responded that overall, the migration of our data was easier than any prior migration we had gone through. In March, we sent our bibliographic data in files of about 90,000 records to OCLC. In May, we sent our patron data. Then in June, we sent our circulation transaction data. On June 13, 2011, we went live—a solid two weeks ahead of schedule.

Once all of our data was loaded, we had to create new instruction manuals, new workflows—we also had to create constant data records for all material types. And both cataloging and circulation had exception records to clean up. We had originally allocated six months for these activities, but they were nearly completed by mid-August—much faster than we’d anticipated.

Life with WorldShare Management Services
There is a fully functional acquisitions module that allows us to place orders, pay for things—everything that we need it to do. Cataloging can now be done in acquisitions upon receipt. When an item is received within the acquisitions model, we have the option to receive an invoice simultaneously, accept the call number provided by OCLC and scan the bar code, which then creates the local holdings record. Books are ready to shelve once the spine label has been applied.

Our catalogers have told me that this process is quick, easy and flows very well. We no longer have to maintain local authority files, and the levels of cataloging that we accept are completely up to us. In our previous system, we took the records and tweaked them to suit our own purposes, but we didn’t share that information with other libraries. Our Library Director, Carrie Rampp, emphasized that Bucknell, along with thousands of libraries, were maintaining holdings in OCLC as well as in local catalogs. One of our catalogers even remarked, “Every day, I wonder how many catalogers in how many other libraries are downloading this very same record from OCLC?” It simply didn’t make sense.

Materials are now cataloged and sent straight to the shelves, freeing up staff to take on other roles. One of our catalogers is spending more time managing our digital collections and doing enhanced cataloging for special collections. Another cataloger has created more than 70 exhibits in the library that corresponded to major events on campus. Instead of just being in the “back,” she now interacts regularly with our academic and administrative departments.

WorldShare Management Services has also allowed us to develop a sophisticated process for patron-driven acquisitions. When students or faculty search WorldCat for an item that is checked out, or for an item that we don’t own, they are prompted to complete an ILLiad Web form. We then make a decision on whether to purchase the item, or we can decide to run it through OCLC’s interlibrary loan service. We have installed a series of purchase add-ons made available through the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo. So from within ILLiad, we have access to a customized list of our vendors that we order from on a regular basis.

Who says you can’t have it all?
Within the first two months, we realized significant savings, including cataloging costs, servers and associated expenses, and staff time. Staff members have become more satisfied with their jobs and professional growth. They have taken on new projects and responsibilities because workflows have become more streamlined. And as a result of WorldShare Management Services, we need to maintain records in only one place, and we enhance those records for the good of all.

OCLC has been true to its word. We’ve experienced significant savings in hardware and through streamlined technical services workflows. We feel that we’re really being listened to and paid attention to—and we are seeing steady improvement. We love the fact that items are “Cataloged in Acquisitions,” creating an extremely efficient workflow. If given the choice, we would definitely do it again! From our perspective, WorldShare Management Services has won the “BFC Award”—it’s Better, Faster and Cheaper. Who says you can’t have it all? OCLC advertised greater efficiencies in workflow and significant cost savings—and it delivered.

“We at OCLC are honored to receive this prestigious recognition from the professional IT community,” said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO. “OCLC and our members are proud to be leading innovation for libraries. This recognition underscores not only the technological achievements of OCLC staff, but speaks to WorldShare’s growing adoption by the international library community.”

OCLC WorldShare Management Services introduces a cloud-based library management system that helps to unify and simplify library workflows. WorldShare Management Services enable libraries to share infrastructure costs and resources, as well as collaborate in ways that free them from the restrictions of local hardware and software. And libraries using WorldShare Management Services find that they are able to reduce the time needed for traditional tasks and free staff time for higher-priority services.

OCLC WorldShare Management Services were released for general availability July 1, 2011. There are currently more than 35 libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services, and more than 180 libraries worldwide have committed to the new service.

"This recognition is a tribute to the libraries and library staff members who have worked closely with OCLC staff to develop and produce a service that is changing the way libraries work," said Andrew Pace, OCLC Executive Director of Networked Library Services, who accepted the award on behalf of the OCLC cooperative. "This award is really for libraries."

OCLC WorldShare Management Services were formerly known as Webscale Management Services. The name was changed in December 2011 following launch of the new OCLC WorldShare Platform, and a rebranding of the services.

Speakers at the TechColumbus Innovation Awards event included Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, and Les Wexner, Limited Brands Founder, Chairman and CEO.

The TechColumbus Innovation Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation by recognizing outstanding technology achievements in central Ohio. This prestigious evening showcases the region’s advancements and promising future in technology. For more information, visit www.techcolumbusinnovationawards.org.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC website. 

As library investments and patron demands for e-resources continue to grow, libraries need to effectively manage these resources alongside their print materials. OCLC has responded to this change through a strategy that includes adding licensed and open access content to WorldCat, building the knowledge base for e-resources, enhancing resource sharing to allow the sharing of electronic articles, and introducing an entire suite of new services for electronic materials. That suite includes link resolving, acquisitions, and a license manager for subscription, access, license, vendor and rights management.

The advisory council is advising OCLC on that strategy, and on refining a clear message around that strategy. The council is also exploring new ways the cooperative can help to maximize exposure of electronic collections and the same time reduce the total cost of acquiring, managing and exposing electronic collections.

Members of the E-resource Advisory Council are:

• Regine Becher, User Services Project Manager, Conservation and Collection Care Manager, Bavarian State Library
• Maria Collins, Associate Head, Content Acquisitions and Licensing, North Carolina State University
• Jennifer Kuehn, Interim Head, Collection Development, The Ohio State University
• Anne Prestamo, Associate Dean for Collection and Technology Services, Oklahoma State University
• Tim Rogers, Executive Director, NC LIVE
• Dr. Hildegard Schäffler, Head of Serials and Electronic Media, Bavarian State Library
• Gregg Silvis, Librarian and Assistant Director for Library Computing Systems, University of Delaware
• Bonnie Tijerina, Assistant Director for Collection Services, Claremont Colleges
• Holly Tomren, Head, Metadata Services, Drexel University Libraries
• Stefanie Wittenbach, University Librarian, Texas A&M University--San Antonio
• Ted Fons, Executive Director, Data Services, OCLC, ex officio
• Andrew Pace, Executive Director, Networked Library Services, OCLC, ex officio

"Serving on the E-resource Advisory Council has been useful for me to get a better understanding of OCLC's vision of how emerging services will be able to benefit library workflows," said Jennifer Kuehn, Interim Head, Collection Development, The Ohio State University, and council member.

"OCLC is fortunate to work with a group of recognized thought leaders dedicated to helping libraries face an issue of critical importance to libraries," said Ted Fons, Executive Director, Data Services & WorldCat Quality. "The E-resource Advisory Council provides an excellent opportunity for OCLC staff to articulate our vision and to listen carefully to the profession’s leaders. The Council is an enormous asset to the cooperative as we work together to anticipate new needs in e-resource management."

The E-resource Advisory Council is planning to meet next during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, Texas.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC website.

The University of Delaware Library will implement OCLC WorldShare Management Services, including the OCLC WorldShare License Manager, by the summer of 2013. The new “cloud-based” system will increase effectiveness and better utilize the Library’s vast resources, according to the University.

In 2008, the Library was one of the first institutions to implement WorldCat Local, OCLC’s Webscale discovery and delivery service. Since then, 29 ARL libraries have implemented WorldCat Local.

"OCLC has a long and distinguished history of supporting libraries in their role of bringing information to users," said Susan Brynteson, Vice Provost and May Morris Director of Libraries, who has been involved with the OCLC cooperative for many years. "The University of Delaware Library is delighted to be at the forefront in this next-generation of library services."

"OCLC's Webscale solution represents transformative change," said Gregg A. Silvis, Assistant Director for Library Computing Systems, University of Delaware. "Libraries have been working toward this type of solution for years. Taking routine library functions to the cloud will reduce duplication of loading records locally, and eliminates the need for maintaining local systems. In addition, as the first academic research library in the U.S. to implement OCLC WorldShare Management Services, the Library is glad to have the opportunity to develop these services to help meet the needs of other research libraries."

Tom Apple, Provost of the University of Delaware, stated, "The implementation of WorldShare Management Services demonstrates the commitment of the Library to provide first-rate research services to the faculty and students of the University of Delaware."

The University of Delaware Library will have an improved means for getting users to resources of all types and formats, according to Silvis. "WorldShare Management Services will provide the Library the opportunity to conduct careful analysis of our workflows across the library."

"We at OCLC greatly appreciate the University of Delaware’s willingness to work with the OCLC cooperative in innovative ways that advance research, scholarship and education," said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO. "We look forward to working with the staff of this important research library in implementing a new cooperative model that will benefit students, faculty and librarians."

Andrew Pace, OCLC Executive Director of Networked Library Services, explained that the cooperative works collaboratively with the membership to ensure that services have meaning to and impact on the library community. "The University of Delaware Library will be invaluable in helping OCLC shape and enhance WorldShare Management Services."

Libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services lower the total cost of ownership for their library’s management and free staff time for higher-priority services. These services provide a Web-based environment that streamlines cataloging, acquisitions, license management and circulation. OCLC WorldShare Management Services enable libraries to share infrastructure costs and resources, as well as collaborate in ways that free them from the restrictions of local hardware and software.

In 2010, OCLC announced that it was making OCLC WorldShare Management Services available to a group of early adopters. OCLC WorldShare Management Services was released for general availability July 1, 2011. There are currently 33 libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services; and 171 libraries worldwide have committed to the new service.

More about OCLC WorldShare Management Services can be found on the OCLC website.

About the University of Delaware
Tracing its heritage back to 1743, the University of Delaware is a state-assisted, privately controlled institution with an enrollment of more than 16,000 undergraduates, 3,500 graduate student and 1,000 professional and continuing study students. The University offers degrees in a broad range of disciplines across seven colleges, and is a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution. The University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of teaching as a research university with very high research activity—a designation accorded fewer than three percent of U.S. colleges and universities.

The Hugh M. Morris Library on the Newark campus of the University of Delaware offers access to the Library’s collection of 2.8 million print volumes, 42,000 serials and more than 310 databases offered to 21,000 students. For Library hours call 302-831-BOOK or check the Library website at www.udel.edu/library.

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC website.

New features added to EZproxy 5.5 include even more support for Shibboleth, including the following:

• Shibboleth 2.3's default settings for IdPs are now compatible with EZproxy.
• The NameIdentifier (non-persistent ID) is now exposed for EZproxy's Shibboleth implementation through the expression variable auth:nameid.
• HTTP POST data can now be in excess of 64 k bytes for Shibboleth. Other HTTP POST data remains limited to 64k bytes.
• Shibboleth 1.3 authentication no longer creates the "SAMLResponse no encrypted Assertion elements" message to the messages.txt file unnecessarily.
• Shibboleth authentication now successful for institutions in the UK Access Federation, instead of logging potential message "SAML received assertion without a status of success, denying access."
• In cases where XDebug directive is used or if the -D command line argument is used and there is no "shibuser.txt" file, Shibboleth processing will no longer be disabled.

General bug fixes:

• The string concatenation operator is interpreted as a character belonging to the neighboring textual constant rather than as a concatenation operator for the following namespaces.
  
     auth:, group:, http:, cookie:

  This longstanding behavior will be fixed in 5.5.x for only the following namespaces.
  
     login:, env:, ParseName:, session:, db:, re:

  If you see this problem, the workaround is to insert a space around the concatenation operator. For example, this syntax works:
  
     UserFile("groups/" . login:instNumber.".txt")

  While this syntax does not: 
  
     UserFile("groups/".login:instNumber.".txt")
• Removed extraneous messages in the messages.txt file about "License Validation."
• Long lines greater than (approximately) 8192 characters written to messages.txt are now accepted.
• The EZproxy "stopall" command line argument will stop all processes named "ezproxy". It will then remove the ".ipc" and ".lck" files for the EZproxy directory from which the executable was run. The ".ipc" and ".lck" files for other execution directories are left unchanged.  This may require that you manually remove them from those directories.
• A number of additional security issues were also addressed in this release.

Note about versions

EZproxy V5.5 is the last release to support Solaris SPARC V8. The next release in Spring 2012 will be the last release to support Solaris SPARC V10. Support for Solaris Intel versions remains unchanged.

We encourage you to upgrade to EZproxy 5.5 to stay current with the latest features. Please review the enhancements page and upgrade at your earliest convenience.

EZproxy Hosted service is available

A hosted version of EZproxy is available. Libraries who subscribe to the hosted version are automatically and seamlessly upgraded with each new release of the service. They also enjoy 24 x 7 x 365 support for off-site authentication of electronic content with no servers or IT infrastructure required. The EZproxy hosted version is currently available in the US, and is planned for wider availability going forward.

Get more details and a full list of changes ››

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