OCLC Members Council discusses new technology in libraries

DUBLIN, Ohio, USA,  24 February 2005—OCLC Members Council met Feb. 6–8 in Dublin, Ohio, to discuss new technologies, new opportunities to deliver electronic information, and new directions for a “bigger, better WorldCat.”

“Future Patterns of Technology Landscapes:  Moving Libraries Beyond Their Comfort Zones” was the theme for the second of three 2004/2005 Members Council meetings to consider findings from the OCLC Environmental Scan, a report produced for the OCLC worldwide membership to examine significant issues and trends impacting OCLC, libraries, museums, archives and other organizations, now and in the future.

J. Richard Madaus, Executive Director, College Center for Library Automation, spoke about “The Future Direction of Technology in Libraries: (or) The ‘Hurrieder’ We Go, The ‘Behinder’ We Get.”  Dr. Madaus listed dozens of changes in technology over the past few years from the power of a variety of new handheld devices and other “gizmos,” to the enormous increases in data storage capacities that could make it possible to carry all 57 million WorldCat Records on 24 gigabytes of a 40 gigabyte Apple iPod.

Dr. Madaus said there will continue to be tremendous changes in technology.  But if libraries are to stay at the forefront of the information age, libraries have got to look at the bigger picture.

“As we look at technology in libraries, we have to look at technology in our culture,” said Dr. Madaus.  “It’s not about the gizmos, it’s about the people.  It’s about how people live and how people seek information.  That’s not always tied to the gizmos, but we do need to know what they’re using the gizmos for and how fast they’re changing.”

Dr. Madaus said when planning for the future, librarians should consider how students under the age of 21 use technology and get their information.  “These are the digital natives—we are the immigrants,” he said.  “These are people growing up with certain assumptions of where technology should be, so we should focus on these users.”

He said libraries and librarians can’t predict the future, but the future of libraries may depend on how they react to changes in how people want to get information. 

“It’s challenging because we’re not going to get any more money to do the things we want to do,” said Dr. Madaus.  “So the issue becomes a really hard question of whether we stop doing some of the things we currently do, or whether we repurpose our activities.  That’s not a question that libraries have ever had to face, but I think it’s one that will probably determine our long-term futures.”

Phyllis Spies, Vice President, OCLC Collection Management Services; Chip Nilges, Executive Director, OCLC WorldCat Content and Global Access; and Janet Lees, Consultant, Business Development, OCLC PICA, provided a briefing on new directions and a new framework for building a “bigger, better WorldCat.”

“The bigger, better WorldCat is not intended to replace the central union catalogs found in many countries around the world, but it will exist in addition to the many national union catalogs,” said Ms. Spies.

Ms. Lees said she was most interested in making sure “WorldCat lives up to its name,” and becomes a more global resource.  She discussed current initiatives to expand WorldCat.

“Our aim is to encourage other union catalogs to be shared with WorldCat, so that the future WorldCat offers a far greater resource for discovering the world’s holdings,” said Ms. Lees, who chairs a joint OCLC-OCLC PICA working group focused on increasing the non-U.S. holdings in WorldCat.

The new framework for WorldCat is now possible after three years of retooling the OCLC system and application software platform.  The new platform makes loading of records quicker and easier, enables new “views” of WorldCat and allows different levels of contribution, and supports new services such as Open WorldCat and the upcoming WorldCat Collection Analysis.

In conclusion, Mr. Nilges described the WorldCat of the future as one that includes:

• Metadata in a variety of formats and schemas.
• Adding union listing data for electronic content as well as the print journals included today, a service that would also include a link registry for that content.
• Continued expansion of evaluative content in WorldCat, such as the book jacket, articles, and other kinds of metadata.
• More libraries and other cultural institutions contributing more metadata.
• Expanded access methods—putting collections where users are looking for information.
• New services, such as WorldCat Collection Analysis, and other ways to leverage the data in WorldCat to deliver new value to the OCLC membership.

“Our goal is to make WorldCat the premier source of library logistics intelligence to support the various workflows that take place in member libraries—cataloging, resource sharing and bibliographic research,” said Mr. Nilges.

Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO, updated delegates on OCLC activities since the last Members Council meeting in October.  Mr. Jordan also outlined a set of objectives for the 2006 fiscal year, to:

• Become as good at helping libraries manage digital collections as we have been at helping them manage print collections.
• Deliver OCLC services and library collections at the point of need.
• Become the premier e-content provider of choice for libraries, publishers, distributors and other organizations.
• Improve the way we deliver products and services.

“OCLC will continue to provide its core services in cataloging, resource sharing and reference,” said Mr. Jordan.  “These key objectives comprise the major priorities in our development schedule for fiscal 2006.  They are in addition to maintaining and enhancing our core services.   The objectives are a logical extension of actions we have taken in the past five years.”

Charles Kratz (PALINET), Members Council President and Director, Library and Information Resources, Weinberg Memorial Library, University of Scranton, reported on progress in key areas of this year’s Members Council annual plan, including the focus on e-content, globalization and communication.  He mentioned the work of the International Delegates Focus Group as particularly valuable to efforts to ensure global representation on Council, and to help increase global membership and participation in OCLC.

During the Members Open Forum, Cathy De Rosa, Vice President, OCLC Marketing and Library Services, and Bonnie Juergens, RONDAC Chair and Executive Director, Amigos Library Services, led a discussion about OCLC and network partners’ plans for the future.  Other topics discussed in the Open Forum included:  implications for OCLC of recently announced Google partnerships; details of the Open WorldCat program; pricing of OCLC products and services; strategy for growing the cooperative globally; and OCLC’s possible role as a digital repository of e-journals.

Delegates heard an E-Content Task Force report from Sandy Yee (MLC), Chair of the Task Force, and Dean of Libraries, Wayne State University.  Small group discussions followed, facilitated by Ms. Yee and Marge Gammon, Vice President, NetLibrary, and task force member.  The E-Content Task Force was established to explore how libraries and OCLC can best shape the future directions of e-content.

Members Council also:

• Heard a report from Betsy Wilson, OCLC Board of Trustees Chair, who discussed developments since the October meeting.
• Heard financial reports from Maggie Farrell, Dean of Libraries at the University of Wyoming, Vice President/President Elect of Members Council and Chair of the Members Council Finance Committee, who presented the proposed Members Council budget; and from Rick Schwieterman, Vice President, OCLC Finance and Human Resources, and Phyllis Spies.
• Met in small group discussions, determined by specific interest and library type.
• Heard an update from Mr. Kratz on OCLC’s new advocacy advertising campaign that is promoting libraries and their value to the communities they serve.  During the October meeting, poster-size versions of the concepts were displayed, and delegates were encouraged to respond to surveys providing feedback.  Those comments and suggestions were incorporated in the final advertisements that are currently running in Governing Magazine and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The next Members Council meeting will be May 15–17, 2005, 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 52,000 libraries in 95 countries and territories.  For more information, visit <www.oclc.org>.

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