How OCLC helps prepare library students for the future

For more than a decade, OCLC has supported library education programs by funding research and making its online services available at no charge

OCLC knows how important it is to help keep faculty and students up-to-date on rapid changes in technology—Web services, digital content, e-learning tools. For more than a decade, OCLC has supported library education programs by funding research and making its online services available at no charge to library schools.

• Grants. Through the OCLC/ALISE Library & Information Science Research Grant Program, OCLC awards grants of up to $15,000 to faculty in schools of library and information science for independent research.

• Services. Schools participating in the OCLC Library & Information Science Education Program access OCLC online services at no cost. Students get hands-on experience using cataloging, reference, resource sharing and collection development services as well as emerging services in digital preservation, e-books and virtual reference.

• Visiting Scholars. A sabbatical research position brings experienced scientists, educators and administrators with demonstrated research capabilities to OCLC to conduct research with OCLC staff, facilities and data resources.

• Research. To contribute to a better understanding of the library environment, OCLC researchers investigate how people use electronic information resources. A study on the use of campus library Web sites found that university students value libraries for reliable information and are aware of the shortcomings of information from the Web. In a new study, OCLC and Ohio State University researchers are analyzing how people choose electronic resources and why they choose some over others.

Barbara Bultmann | Library student brings different perspective