Members Council discusses the needs of libraries worldwide

DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 18 November 2005—OCLC Members Council met in Dublin, Ohio, October 23-25 to discuss how OCLC can strengthen its existing partnerships and expand the collaborative with particular attention to smaller, rural libraries, and libraries of all sizes and types around the world.

"We have a very busy year--and a very busy two days--ahead of us," said Maggie Farrell, President, OCLC Members Council and Dean of Libraries, University of Wyoming (BCR), opening the meeting.  "It is our goal this year to examine existing partnerships to ensure they are effective, consider organizations beyond libraries to increase membership, and develop new services.  Membership and services should always be considered within a global context."

A panel presentation on global library issues brought together delegates from around the world to discuss what OCLC is doing right in extending the collaborative, and what OCLC can do better. 

The panel included ChewLeng Beh, CEO, eLPEDIA, Singapore (OCLC Asia Pacific); Ernie Ingles, Vice President, OCLC Members Council and Vice-Provost and Chief Librarian, University of Alberta (OCLC Canada); Ellen Tise, University Librarian, University of Western Cape South Africa (OCLC PICA); and Andrew Wang, Executive Director, OCLC Asia Pacific.

"OCLC has to globalize to maintain its leadership in a 'critical mass' effort such as WorldCat," said Mr. Beh.  "A multi-lingual, multi-cultural WorldCat is needed.  OCLC should focus on WorldCat and enrich it with global bibliographies in order to maintain its leadership in the world of libraries."

Panel members noted language, culture, pricing and funding issues as challenges to OCLC's continued international efforts.  They also noted that a more global approach to helping libraries provides ample opportunity to make OCLC stronger.

"Globalization is all about interdependence—and that's what OCLC is all about," said Mr. Ingles.  "WorldCat is all about interdependence.  It's about individual libraries in individual countries working together to create this massive asset that not only provides information and access to resources, but is a palpable demonstration of interdependence in a community that has centered its own vision and values around that very concept."

"The OCLC cooperative continues to grow worldwide," said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO, in his update.  Mr. Jordan pointed out that there are now some 54,000 libraries in 109 countries participating in OCLC services, which is an increase of 3,400 institutions from the previous year.  He noted that, in the past five years, the number of libraries participating in OCLC outside the United States has increased from 6,000 to 10,500 and the number of countries from 75 to 109.

Mr. Jordan also noted that representation on Members Council has increased to nine delegates from outside the United States, reflecting worldwide interest and increased participation in the collaborative.  "Clearly, we continue to become more global," he said

Mr. Jordan emphasized the importance of OCLC's new technological platform in the development of new services that make it possible for more libraries from all parts of the world to participate in the OCLC collaborative.

"We will continue to build on our new platform that's based on globally networked world and open systems standards," said Mr. Jordan.  "This platform will help libraries manage their eCollections, deliver services at the point of need and become the eContent provider of choice."

Small and Rural Libraries

Jeff Baskin, Director, William F. Laman Public Library, North Little Rock, Arkansas (AMIGOS), and Bruce Newell, Director, Montana Library Network, Montana State Library (OCLC Western) provided some perspective on small and rural libraries.

Mr. Newell introduced his white paper, Montana's Libraries: Good Neighbors.  He described how OCLC can support rural libraries.

"While our 745 libraries' needs are similar to those of larger urban libraries', it is the distances between libraries that present a constraint and challenge and which set us apart," stated Mr. Newell, in his white paper.  "Montana’s librarians work together to an astounding degree.  We may not be rich, but we are willing to roll up our sleeves and help each other build barns and mend fences.  Most Montana librarians realize that we truly are all in this together."

Mr. Newell described how Montana libraries work together, including:

• • Participating in a statewide contract with OCLC for cataloging and resource sharing services, and have done so since 2000
  • Sharing a Montana union catalog, a statewide listing of materials in our libraries, using OCLC’s FirstSearch group catalog product
  • Sharing users; a growing list of libraries share the Montana Shared Catalog and treat each-others’ customers as their own
  • Planning together, often led by the multi-type Montana State Library Networking Task Force
  • Working together as the Montana Library Network in its various guises

"In addition to its role in cataloging and resource sharing, we look to OCLC to provide guidance and the infrastructure necessary to capture, preserve, organize, and make accessible digital objects and collections," said Mr. Newell.  "We trust OCLC understands its strategic interests lie with the process and resulting content developed through collaborative digitization projects."

"OCLC is Montana libraries' primary link to regional, national, and global collaboration," Mr. Newell continued.  "Beyond providing Montana libraries with a worldwide link to library resources and an opportunity for partnering, OCLC provides a cooperative context and opportunities to connect ourselves (and our users) globally."

"I cannot generalize about how much Montana has in common with non-North American Libraries; I have not walked the proverbial kilometer in their shoes," concluded Mr. Newell.  "But at OCLC Members Council, I hear many Montana-like themes in the conversations of my non-U.S. and Canadian colleagues.  At some level, libraries are libraries.  Libraries from Asia, Africa, Central and South America may well be close cousins to those in Montana.  My guess is that Montana librarians have much to learn from, and to offer, our global colleagues."

Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources

Cathy De Rosa, Vice President, OCLC Marketing & Library Services, presented findings from a report on Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources.  The report was a follow-up to The 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan: Pattern Recognition, a look at identifying and describing issues and trends impacting OCLC and libraries.

"We wanted to know more about people's information-seeking behaviors, how familiar people are with a variety of e-resources libraries provide for their users and how libraries fit into the lives of the respondents," said Ms. De Rosa.  "One of the most important goals of the project as a whole was to begin to have a clear understanding of the brand of 'The Library.'"

Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources was developed by OCLC Market Research staff, and administered on behalf of OCLC by Harris Interactive.  Topics explored in the survey were the perceptions and preferences of information consumers; users' relationship with and use of libraries, including use of and familiarity with electronic information resources; awareness of libraries and resources offered; the Library "brand" and its ubiquity and universality; trust of libraries and their resources; and people's perceptions of the library's purpose or mission.

"Trends toward increased information self-service and seamlessness are clearly evident in the survey results," said Ms. De Rosa.  "Libraries' mindshare in this new self-service e-resource environment is also clear, behind newer entrants.  Libraries' continued importance as a trusted information provider is evident and, overall, users have to take this information—both the positive and the challenging—and evaluate where to invest more, invest less, invent new and invert old, communicate more and market better."

A final copy of the Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources report will be available through OCLC soon.

Members Council delegates also met in small, library-type groups and interest groups for discussions.  Delegates also discussed a broad range of issues in the Open Forum.

The next OCLC Members Council meeting will be February 12-14, 2006, at the Marriott Northwest in Dublin, Ohio.

About Members Council
The 66-delegate Members Council supports OCLC's mission by serving as the key discussion forum and communications link between member libraries, regional networks and other partners, and OCLC management.  By providing a channel for recommendations and questions from Members Council delegates, approving changes in the Code of Regulations, and electing six members of the Board of Trustees, Members Council helps shape the future direction of OCLC.

About OCLC
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC Online Computer Library Center is a nonprofit organization that has provided computer-based cataloging, reference, resource sharing and preservation services to 54,000 libraries in 109 countries and territories.  For more information, visit <www.oclc.org>.

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