DUBLIN, Ohio, 10 April 2019—Gwinnett County Public Library in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has signed on to implement OCLC Wise, the first community engagement system for U.S. public libraries.

Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) joins Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Anythink, in Adams County, Colorado, as an early adopter for Wise. This robust system seamlessly integrates the power of customer relationship management, marketing, and analytics with typical integrated library system (ILS) functionality, such as circulation and acquisitions. Wise transforms traditional library management with a holistic, people-centered approach—empowering library staff to better understand and meet community needs.

“GCPL is consistently pushing the boundaries of library service—from being the first library in the U.S. to provide customer self-service access outside of regular operating hours, to committing to active and inventive community engagement. We’re delighted that GCPL is joining us as a Wise early adopter,” said Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO.

The GCPL team has been transitioning many aspects of the organization over the past several years to transform into a true community-oriented library. Adding Wise is another significant step in that transformation.

“GCPL is excited to play a part in the ongoing development of what promises to be a revolutionary new approach to library automation and engagement, one that focuses on the customer, not the collection,” said Charles Pace, Executive Director at GCPL. “We look forward to partnering with OCLC to enhance this robust, secure system that will serve not only our needs, but the needs of the library industry more generally.”

“We’re impressed with GCPL’s dedicated efforts to innovate outreach and community partnerships, and their determination to embrace technology advancements for the benefit of their community. GCPL’s leadership and staff understand where we’re headed with Wise, and their partnership will help us get there,” said Mary Sauer-Games, OCLC Vice President, Global Product Management.

Wise is the first community engagement system for U.S. public libraries. The system is currently used by more than 75 percent of public libraries in the Netherlands and has been tailored to address the specific needs of U.S. public libraries. OCLC will work with early adopters, other public libraries, and the library community at large to help inform Wise development efforts.

OCLC is actively recruiting early adopter partnerships for Wise. This special group of libraries will work closely and collaborate with OCLC's product team to evaluate ongoing development opportunities and to shape future library innovation.

Learn more about Wise at www.oclc.org/en/wise.

About Gwinnett County Public Library
The award-winning Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) system was formed in 1996 after the dissolution of the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library. For more than 20 years, GCPL has provided resources and services that enrich and inspire our community. The Library has 15 branches that offer free access to computers and Wi-Fi, classes, materials, and programming for people of all ages. In 2018, more than 4.5 million items were checked out at GCPL, more than any other library system in Georgia. In 2018, GCPL was recognized as a Top Workplace by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. For more information about Gwinnett County Public Library programs and services, visit www.gwinnettpl.org.

About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible. www.oclc.org