DUBLIN, Ohio, June 2, 2011—Since OCLC announced it was making its cloud-based library management services available to early adopters just 10 months ago, 32 libraries have committed to using OCLC Web-scale Management Services, the Web-based cooperative library management tools for metadata management, acquisitions, circulation, license management and workflow improvement. The early-adopter phase has now ended, and July 1 will mark general release of these innovative cloud-based services.

Among the libraries that have led the way for general release of the new services:

• Banning Library District
• Bay Path College
• Boundary County Library District
• Bucknell University
• California Lutheran University
• Covenant College
• Craven-Pamlico-Carteret Regional Library
• Davidson College
• Globe University
• Harrison College
• High Point University
• Hope International University
• Jacksonville University
• Jet Propulsion Lab – NASA at California Institute of Technology
• Mount Mercy College
• Newbury College
• Norwich University
• Ogeechee Technical College
• Pepperdine University
• Saint Thomas University, Law Library
• Saint Thomas University
• The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Library
• San Diego Christian College
• Simpson University
• Spring Hill College
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio
• University of Massachusetts Medical Center
• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Vanguard University Libraries
• Vermont College of Fine Arts
• Viterbo University
• Westmont College

In addition to the 32 committed libraries in the United States, BIBSYS, the Norwegian library consortium signed an agreement with OCLC to base its new library management system on Web-scale Management Services, which will include management tools for more than 100 libraries in Norway.

Boundary County District Library was among the first to join the early adopters, 15 of which are now using the services in full production. “There was no question—we were on board. OCLC had proved its value through WorldCat and FirstSearch,” said Sandy Ashworth, Director at Boundary, about her library’s decision to become a pilot library. “Above all, we liked that OCLC is a library cooperative. We are members working together toward a common vision sharing many of the same challenges. And it is through this shared vision that we hope to eliminate many of the barriers that prevent access to information.”

“One of the things I see with Web-scale Management Services is that it’s a continuation and an expansion of a partnership that we’ve had a long, long time with OCLC,” said David Jones, Director of the Library, Jacksonville University, an early adopter library.

Andrew Pace, OCLC Executive Director of Networked Library Services, said this kind of acceptance and rapid implementation of the brand new services are possible through the extraordinary efforts of the original pilot libraries, the early adopter libraries, an active and engaged library advisory council and the cloud-based architecture of the new services. “I’m really excited about the rate of adoption thus far,” said Pace. “Seeing 15 libraries live and in production before the summer is an amazing accomplishment for everyone involved.”

“Staff at early adopter libraries have worked tirelessly with OCLC staff through planning and testing,” added Pace. “Since this is a brand new service we knew there were going to be challenges along the way. But through hard work and an enthusiastic commitment to this project, we have been able to overcome challenges and solve problems together as we progress.”

Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO, said the OCLC cooperative is fortunate to have librarians who are willing to get involved in research product development and testing of innovative new services and programs.

“OCLC’s new Web-scale Management Services have brought forth a new generation of pioneering librarians,” said Jordan. “We are grateful to these early adopter libraries for their ground-breaking efforts on behalf of the entire OCLC cooperative.”

Libraries using Web-scale Management Services will lower the total cost of ownership for their library’s management and free staff time for higher-priority services. As more institutions migrate to Web-scale Management Services, libraries will be able to share data, applications and workflow improvements with peer institutions, end users and partners.

With the early-adopter phase of the project completed, OCLC is now accepting orders for libraries interested in using Web-scale Management Services. More information on OCLC Web-scale Management Services can be found on the OCLC website. See video and other presentations from early adopters at www.oclc.org/us/en/webscale/overview/websessions.htm.

For Immediate Release: June 2, 2011 Invitation to cover
For more information, contact:
Didi Yunginger
Wolper Subscription Services (610) 559-9550x239
didiy@wolper.com

Wolper Director of Information Strategy to Present Paper at SLA 2011
“The Metamorphosis of the Information Professional”

Wolper Subscription Services invites all conference attendees to come hear Valerie Ryder, Wolper’s Director of Information Strategy, on “The Metamorphosis of the Information Professional” at the Special Libraries Association 2011 Annual Conference and INFO-EXPO in Philadelphia, PA.

The presentation will be during the Contributed Papers session on Wednesday morning, June 15th, 10 to 11:30 AM.

Ms. Ryder, MLIS, MIBM, a former corporate librarian who joined Wolper in late 2009, is among just 12 people selected to develop a paper and present at SLA from nearly 40 entries, which were evaluated on the basis of abstracts by a panel of SLA members in a blind review. Criteria for the selection process, according to Martha L. Foote, Chair, SLA Contributed Papers 2011, and General Manager of LibraryCo Inc. in Toronto, Canada, included the relationship of the topic to library and information science, quality of writing, strength of ideas, applicability to SLA members, degree of innovation and relevance to the 2011 conference theme "Future Ready.”

In “Metamorphosis,” Ms. Ryder focuses on how the roles of the information user and the information professional are morphing into new identities to keep pace with developments in the information industry. What lessons from past technology transitions can be applied to future shifts? How will current trends impact the roles of all participants in the information marketplace? Which core skills of information professionals will enable them to not only successfully ride the waves of change but to steer the direction of technological transformations? The paper explores the four building blocks of SLA’s “Future Ready” – collaborative techniques, adaptability and resiliency, alignment and connecting – in the context of leveraging technology for innovation.

For Ms. Ryder, the theme was a natural since she very recently had two chapters on corporate librarianship published in Best Practices for Corporate Libraries, by Sigrid E. Kelsey and Marjorie J. Porter (Editors), Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2011.

Wolper is a one-stop information management resource and the only 100% woman-owned business in the field. For 35 years, the company has been providing service and savings to corporate, academic, medical, government, public and consortia customers. Wolper’s High Tech, High Touch® approach delivers the perfect combination of next-generation technology and time-proven, personalized service. Learn more at www.wolper.com.