Web scale for libraries: a sea change for the 21st century

The first cooperative management service for libraries is an unparalleled effort guided by members

By Andrew K. Pace

In April, OCLC announced plans to launch new services for Web-scale, library management: network-level tools for managing library collections through circulation and delivery, print and licensed acquisitions, and license management. These new services will complement existing OCLC Web-scale services, such as cataloging, resource sharing and integrated discovery. Reaction to the announcement from libraries has been overwhelmingly positive. Faced with few alternatives in the library automation market, many libraries are looking for a future that lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), while simultaneously increasing efficiency in library management and providing a platform for libraries.

It’s time for a sea change. The library management systems of the 20th century are not equipped to deal with the changing nature of library collections and Internet-savvy users and staff. Most systems out there were built at least a decade before the Web. Moreover, emerging systems tend to preserve legacy workflows, create new but separate workflows based on collection formats, and continue to stand alone−not only from other local systems but from each other as well.

OCLC is uniquely positioned to build services using 21st-century technologies, and build them upon the great assets of the cooperative−the WorldCat database, the WorldCat Link Manager Knowledgebase and 40 years of cooperative, network-level applications. The breadth and depth of the WorldCat database uniquely positions OCLC to provide an unparalleled set of services for library automation and management; and it gives OCLC members unprecedented opportunity to share data and workflows that they have never been able to share before.

OCLC is also fortunate to bring the knowledge of several library management systems staff to the table. With more than 1,000 customers and hundreds of staff dedicated to locally deployed and hosted library management systems, OCLC’s effort to build the first Web-scale management services for libraries is an unparalleled effort.

“I think that this project holds the potential for real advancement in shared maintenance of bibliographic records, advanced discovery, and could be a boon to efficient resource sharing and cooperative collection development as well,” says John F. Helmer, Executive Director, Orbis Cascade Alliance.

Henry Ford once said, “If I’d asked the people what they wanted, they would have said ‘faster horses.’” Libraries, on the other hand, are well beyond looking for faster horses and they know what they want. And OCLC wants to leverage its greatest asset−the membership−to develop it. As a result, OCLC has put together two important groups to guide OCLC’s effort to build Web-scale management services for libraries.

The first group is tactical in nature−the pilot libraries that will begin testing application functionality, data migration, implementation and support. These include selected libraries from the Idaho Commission for Libraries, Pepperdine University Libraries and selected libraries in the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Pilot participants will provide the required expertise and “hands-on-keyboards” experience required to validate service functionality.

“The Boundary County District Library is participating in OCLC’s Web-scale management pilot because OCLC has proven time and time again that combining forces achieves more’—from WorldCat to WebJunction and more and more and more!” says Sandy Ashworth, Director, Boundary Public Library, Idaho.

The second group is the Library Advisory Council put in place to provide advice to OCLC on overall direction, validate strategic positioning and be a sounding board for new ideas not yet in the development plan for Web-scale management services. The Library Advisory Council comprises leaders from the library community who will assist OCLC in creating a service strategy that will meet the needs of libraries across various sectors and geographies. Members of the Library Advisory Council are:

• Helene Blowers, Digital Strategy Director, Columbus Metropolitan Library
• John Helmer, Executive Director, Orbis Cascade Alliance
• Jan Ison, Executive Director, Lincoln Trail Libraries System
• R . David Lankes, Associate Professor, Syracuse University
• Sarah McHugh, Statewide Projects Librarian, Montana State Library
• Mary Piorun, Associate Director, University of Massachusetts Medical Center Library
• Tim Rogers, Executive Director, NCLIVE
• John Teskey, Director of Libraries, University of New Brunswick
• Andrew Pace, OCLC, ex officio.

The goals may seem lofty, but the basic mission is not overly complex−OCLC will create network-level applications that will allow libraries to provide tried and true library management services. But those services will be built upon new technologies and platforms that allow libraries to customize workflows based on the changing nature of their collections, their users and their business processes. OCLC has heard the call from libraries. In fact, the effort to add acquisitions and circulation to WorldCat fulfills the mission that Fred Kilgour defined over 40 years ago. OCLC is not only uniquely positioned to create meaningful change for libraries, it is obliged to do so.

Updates | WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway