22 September 2004

Online computer library centre responds to trends in the worldwide library and information community

President and chief executive officer of the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC), Jay Jordan, will be discussing the needs of libraries and library users this week at the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) 2004 Biennial Conference: Challenging ideas, being held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 September 2004.

In his keynote session, Meeting challenges, implementing solutions, Mr Jordan will discuss how the OCLC Co-operative of more than 52 000 libraries in 95 countries is responding to significant trends in the worldwide library and information community. These significant trends include a decrease in guided access to content, disaggregation of information, growth of collaboration and globalisation of information.

OCLC is a non-profit, membership, computer library service and research organisation dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs. Libraries around the world use OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalogue, lend and preserve library materials.

'The response of the OCLC Co-operative to these challenges is threefold,’ said Mr Jordan. ‘First, we are engaged in a program of ongoing research into the needs of libraries and library users. Second, we are increasing our efforts to serve as an advocate for libraries. And third, we are developing and implementing innovative services for libraries that will help them thrive both today and in the future.'

Mr Jordan will also be discussing the enthusiastic response to the Open WorldCat Pilot program. This program enables internet users to view an OCLC-enabled display of lists of libraries that own items located in response to queries on search engines such as Google and Yahoo! Users are now making more than two million click-throughs monthly to the Open WorldCat page, which directs them to library catalogues.

'The Open WorldCat Pilot exemplifies the collective institutional energy that the OCLC co-operative can bring to bear when it sets out to explore ways to improve access to quality information,’ Mr Jordan said. ‘We are not only meeting challenges, we are also implementing solutions.'