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December 2009 | Vol. 1, No. 2
Larry Alford
Chair, OCLC
Board of
Trustees;
Dean of
University
Libraries at
Temple
University
Cooperation and the Commons
A few weeks ago when the Board of Trustees met, we
talked about the many important opportunities we all
have as OCLC members to impact the future direction
of the cooperative and to strengthen libraries even as
the information environment is changing radically. This
reminded me of the work of Elinor Ostrom, who won a
2009 Nobel Memorial Prize for her work on economic
governance of the commons.
She notes how the rapid development in information
technologies impacts “ knowledge commons.” In her
book, Understanding Knowledge as a Commons, she
writes: “ Sustainability is an ongoing process that
requires monitoring and frequent reevaluation. Thus,
when evaluating the sustainability of a system, one
needs to examine the processes involving interactions
among participants.”
For me, this also reflects the steps OCLC is taking as
we transition to a new governance structure that
includes a new Global Council and three Regional
Councils. This evolution brings the OCLC governance
structure closer to member libraries around the world
and enhances the ways that you can participate
locally and globally. It provides increased opportunity
for member input to sustain and shape the commons
we’ve built. Your ideas and efforts will continue to
move the cooperative— and the profession forward.
The accomplishments of the OCLC collaborative so
far are amazing. The WorldCat union catalog is the
achievement of thousands of librarians and library
staff who have worked to create the world’s most
comprehensive database of bibliographic records and
library holdings. This shared work has continued now
for almost 40 years and is a resource that belongs to
all OCLC members to support teaching, learning and
research around the world.
Our past successes always inspire me, as I’m sure
they do you. We are all— because of the work that we
built and share— richer and more relevant than ever
before. As a member- founded, - owned and - governed
collaborative, we need and welcome all of your ideas
to move our shared vision into the future.
In this issue:
Lynne Lysiak— OCLC agent
for change
WebJunction, State Library
of North Carolina partner to
study libraries’ response to
high unemployment rates
Digital Forum East
presentations now online
Americas Regional Council
Meeting at ALA
OCLC Symposium—
On the radar: How libraries
and other non- profits can
increase their influence
Support Update: Building a
user community around
WorldCat Local
Use the Training Portal to
get more out of your OCLC
services and to fulfill your
professional development
requirements
Lynne Lysiak— OCLC agent for change
One of the first OCLC users shares her story, from day one to retirement
Reasons to Choose WorldCat: Participate in the largest library
community in history
— Larry
Feature Story
“ I don’t think we really
understood the enormity of
the system that we were
embarking upon, much less
did we consider what the
future possibilities might
be.”
Then and now
Above: Present on the first
day of online cataloging
( left to right) Joan Davis,
Lynne Lysiak, Sue Golden
and Mildred Dugas. Left:
Lysiak today.
Nearly 40 years ago, when OCLC’s online
system, now known as WorldCat, first went live,
Lynne Lysiak had just started her career at Ohio
University Libraries. Lynne recently retired as
Coordinator of Systems and Technology
Services, Belk Library and Information Commons
at Appalachian State University in Boone, North
Carolina. We asked her to share her journey with
us— from the early days of OCLC to the present.
After completing her sophomore year at Hofstra
University in New York, Lynne and her husband
moved to Athens, Ohio, where she completed her
B. A. in English at Ohio University. The year was
1969, only two years after OCLC was founded,
and Ohio University ( OU) Libraries were hiring
paraprofessional catalogers.
“ There were nine of us who started around the
same time,” Lynne recalls. “ We became a pretty
tight group, like members of a class. OU started
using OCLC’s offline system in early 1970. We
received IBM punch cards imprinted with the
holding library’s symbol. We wrote down the LC
card number on the punch card and mailed the
cards to OCLC in Columbus, Ohio, where they
were fed through a computer to generate catalog
cards. I believe the only data in the system at that
point were LC MARC records, and only a limited
number at that.”
Read the entire article >>
Lynne was one of the first contributors to the OCLC cooperative, and to the online
union catalog in 1971. Contributions from thousands of librarians and library staff
since then have made WorldCat the incomparable resource that it is today. In
coming issues, we will share more reasons why WorldCat is valuable today,
thanks to contributions from members around the world, and the work that OCLC
and members have invested together.
WebJunction, State Library of North Carolina partner to study
libraries’ response to high unemployment rates
WebJunction has partnered with the State Library of North Carolina to manage Project Compass, a 12-
month program funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services ( IMLS) to identify how
unemployment is currently affecting individuals in the U. S., how state and local libraries are responding
to meet urgent user needs for workforce resources, and how to facilitate conversations that will advance
library services to best meet these challenges over the coming year.
􀁺 Learn more about Project Compass ››
OCLC Digital Forum East presentations now online
The OCLC Digital Forum East was held on November 5, at the Arlington Public Library in Arlington,
Virginia. Members discussed Convergence: Where Metadata and Access Meet for Digital Discovery and
Delivery , and the sessions featured experts from the museum, archival and library communities who
discussed metadata, tagging of content, and the convergence of new forms of delivery of digital
collections to 21st century learners.
�� View slides and video recordings from this event ››
News and Events
Register to attend ALA
Midwinter
Register for OCLC- sponsored
sessions at ALA Midwinter
􀁺 OCLC Americas
Americas Regional Council to hold its
first meeting at ALA Midwinter, January
15, 2010, 8: 30 – 11: 30 am, ET
Join us for the first meeting of the OCLC Americas Regional
Council on Friday, January 15, 2010, 8: 30 – 11: 30 am ( ET).
Comprised of members from libraries and cultural heritage
organizations from Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean
and the United States, the Americas Regional Council is part
of the OCLC cooperative’s new governance structure that
consists of three Regional Councils and a Global Council to
facilitate member- to- member discussions across the
cooperative. This meeting will provide an open forum to
discuss issues of importance to members and advise OCLC
about its products, services, policies and operating direction.
The Americas Regional Council Executive Committee,
members of the OCLC Board of Trustees, Global Council and
OCLC Management will be present for interactive
discussions.
OCLC Symposium at ALA Midwinter— On
the radar: how libraries and other
Find OCLC at upcoming conferences and events
OCLC staff members and our OCLC Partners participate in many conferences and events throughout
the year. OCLC professionals are available to answer your questions and help your library or cultural
heritage institution leverage your membership in the OCLC cooperative. OCLC also presents many
thought leadership events— what's going on beyond the walls of your organization.
􀁺 View all upcoming conferences and events ››
􀁺 Visit our Presentation Center to view presentation slides and video recordings ››
Support Update: Building a user community around WorldCat Local
Here are some helpful links that provide more information about WorldCat Local and WorldCat Local
“ quick start”:
􀁺 Hear recordings of past Web sessions and podcasts, including informational sessions on
WorldCat Local “ quick start,” WorldCat Local: taking your library to users on the Web,
WorldCat Local Customization and more.
􀁺 Support resources for WorldCat Local
Regional Council Meeting
􀁺 OCLC Symposium
􀁺 OCLC Update Breakfast
www. oclc. org/ info/ ala
nonprofits can increase their influence
Gaining attention and funding among
nonprofit and community entities has never
been more critical. Join OCLC and Michael
Brown, CEO & Co- Founder of City Year, for
a discussion of this vital topic. How can
libraries build influence in their communities
to improve sustainability? What groups see
your library as a vital and essential
resource for their success and survival?
Building effective partnerships is essential
to instilling a sense of urgency when
questions of support arise. Michael’s
experience in developing and growing an
entrepreneurial nonprofit will bring a
valuable perspective to this discussion.
Michael Brown
CEO & Co-
Founder of City
Year, Inc.
( Photo: Jim
Harrison)
Support and Training
Whether you call OCLC Support at 1- 800- 848- 5800, attend a webinar, or
send an e- mail to support@ oclc. org, there are many ways that you can
obtain the information you need about our services. WorldCat Local
provides a single result that delivers your library’s resources and those of
the world’s libraries. Whether you are considering WorldCat Local or
WorldCat Local “ quick start” for your library and want to learn more, or you
are currently using these services, OCLC offers free resources and forums
for members to share best practices.
􀁺 What you should do to prepare for WorldCat Local “ quick start”
􀁺 Frequently Asked Questions about WorldCat Local “ quick start”
New OCLC course! WorldCat Holdings: Why They Matter and the
Tools to Maintain Them
Join OCLC for a free online session to master the many methods you can use to keep your holdings
accurate and up- to- date in WorldCat, increase the discoverability of your institution’s materials and make
the most efficient use of your library’s resources. We’ll also offer you guidance on how to select and
implement the holdings maintenance methods that are most appropriate for your library.
􀁺 Register now online ››
Use the Training Portal to get more out of your OCLC services and to
fulfill your professional development requirements
Through careful analysis, OCLC and our Training Partners have identified several categories of courses
and skills that you may need to acquire. Our coordinated efforts ensure that these courses are offered
several times throughout the year, making it easier than ever before for you to register for and fulfill your
required training— all through a single online source— the OCLC Training Portal.
Here are the categories of courses that are available regularly throughout the year:
More than 70 cataloging courses now
available on the Training Portal
Enabling your users to find the information they need is
the core mission of cataloging. OCLC and our Training
Partners are currently offering over 70 cataloging
courses— all designed to help you find, create and use
the right record to help your users successfully use your
library's resources. Whether you are looking to master a
single skill, or a combination of skills, the Training Portal
offers great possibilities for learning.
􀁺 View all online cataloging and metadata
courses ››
Tips on cataloging courses
Looking to acquire a combination of skills?
Consider mastering the basics first, by taking a
course such as OCLC MARC Basics for
Everyone- Online.
Then build on those skills by learning how to
apply them. For example, for courses on using
Connexion to acquire the right record and
keep your holdings accurate, look for courses
like these:
Connexion Client Module 03— Basic Editing
and Record Processing
Advanced Cataloging Tools in Connexion
Client ( Minitex)
􀁺 CatExpress
�� Basic Connexion Client
􀁺 Advanced Connexion Browser
􀁺 Basic ILL
In addition to fulfilling your training requirements on OCLC services, the Training Portal also lists many
professional development opportunities. Whether you’re looking to refresh or expand your knowledge of
the basics, or you are planning for future initiatives, these courses are designed to help you enhance the
value you bring to your organization. Courses include topics such as Library of Congress Classification
and MARC tagging, developing a copyright policy and digital image quality, Web resources for reference,
wikis for libraries and much more.
Click on the “ Related Training” links under each category in the Training Portal to view
all of the current professional development offerings ››
Advanced Connexion Client
Basic Connexion Browser
Advanced ILL
QuestionPoint