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Group Services : Modular approach

OCLC Group Services: A Modular Approach

With OCLC Group Services, your library group can create a solution to meet your exact needs—and maintain a budget. Using a modular approach, your library group selects and tailors the most appropriate modules to design a custom solution.

Your group may select any combination of the following four OCLC Group Services modules:

(1) Group catalog. A single view of your group's resources. Your group catalog is created from records already cataloged in WorldCat by your member libraries. Group catalogs leverage the investment your libraries have made with their cataloging efforts. For libraries not currently cataloging with OCLC, we provide convenient batchloading of records into the group catalog.

With your group catalog, your users can search across all libraries locally, group-wide, statewide or regionally across several states—or even all of WorldCat. Users search with a single interface that integrates with your local system. For location, local call number, and item availability (shelf status), the records in your group catalog can link directly to each library's local system using OCLC control number or ISBN/ISSN.

(2) Unlimited resource sharing services. OCLC's resource sharing network is the largest in the world. Users can easily request items from their home library, another library in your group or a library outside your group. Every library in the group can have unlimited access to OCLC resource sharing services, including loan and photocopy requests and mediated or unmediated requests.

Unlimited use of OCLC's resource sharing services includes the ability to:

  • Efficiently create, send and track ILL requests with OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing
  • Significantly reduce administrative costs by tracking and reconciling ILL charges automatically through your OCLC bill with OCLC ILL Fee Management (IFM)
  • Create, maintain, and display serials union list information, including volume- and year-specific information with OCLC Online Union Listing
  • Access statistical reports

With unlimited access to resource sharing, as well as cataloging services, you're able to manage costs with predictable subscription pricing that's not tied to your volume of use.

(3) Unlimited cataloging services. OCLC has been a leader in online cataloging for over 30 years. For you and your users, that means consistent search results, high-quality records, rich indexes and fast response time. All libraries can take advantage of OCLC's diverse cataloging options, even those that are not currently OCLC members.

All libraries will be able to load their retrospective holdings and make unlimited use of OCLC's diverse cataloging options, including:

  • CatExpress - a Web-based cataloging system designed for smaller libraries
  • Connexion browser - a Web browser-based interface to OCLC's cataloging service, which accommodates varying levels of expertise
  • Connexion client - a powerful, flexible Windows-based interface to OCLC's cataloging service
  • Z39.50 Cataloging - using your Z39.50-compliant local library system, your library can search for and download bibliographic records

(4) Any other services to meet your groups' needs. Group purchases of these OCLC services can further strengthen your group's cooperative efforts.

  • Build and manage your digital collections quickly and easily with CONTENTdm, an affordable software solution.
  • Receive OCLC MARC records for the non-book and non-English materials you order with participating materials vendors through the Cataloging Partners program.
  • Convert all of your libraries' collections and use contract cataloging services from a quality cataloging partner.
  • Use cooperative reference to respond to and manage reference questions through the Web with QuestionPoint 24/7.
  • Review your library's collection - or compare it with peer libraries - to see strengths, gaps and overlaps using WorldCat Collection Analysis.