[Libs-Or] Alternatives to OCLC

[FRENCH Patricia S]

Hi Cindy,
I wanted to suggest a few more indeas to consider when making your
decision about alternatives to OCLC.  It's important to keep in mind the
other aspects of participating in OCLC and the ways in which OCLC is not
just another vendor that can supply cataloging records.  As a non-profit
library cooperative, OCLC's many products and services supply tools to
individual libraries that enable us to collaborate, share resources and
have access to basic tools such as the Dewey Decimal classification
system.  (Did you know that OCLC owns and maintains Dewey?)  The most
significant OCLC resource is the WorldCat database which supports an
ever-growing web of library cooperation, giving libraries the means to
share materials, metadata and other services.  Cataloging records in
OCLC are not static entities that never change.  OCLC actually does
maintenance on these records and keeps them up-to-date with changing
standards and coding.   This costs money.
 
WorldCat works to the degree that libraries add their holdings to the
database and it also gives our patrons a means to find us via the
Worldwide Web.  Libraries that opt to get their cataloging records from
another source may save money but they do need to aware that not adding
their holdings to WorldCat will undermine their library's ability to be
connected to other libraries for cooperative resource sharing into the
future.  Very few of us have ever been able to afford to own the
complete collection we want to offer our patrons and this was one of the
early reasons that the OCLC cooperative was established.  Its function
as a global discovery tool that helps people find library resources is
even more important today now that there are multiple for-profit
organizations offering access to information for a fee. 
 
The value of a library cooperative is hard to quantify and comes with a
cost.  But it's hard to imagine what library options would look like
today if we did not have a cooperative database that we can rely on
being there for the many services we individually choose to offer our
patrons.  
 
Pat
  
 
 

Pat French, M.A., MLS 
Manager, Collections & Technical Services 
Multnomah County Library 
205 NE Russell Street 
Portland, OR  97212-3796 
voice 503-988-5493 
fax    503-988-5561 

	-----Original Message-----
	From: libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
[mailto:libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf Of Cindy M.
Hutchison
	Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 9:07 AM
	To: Libs-Or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
	Subject: [Libs-Or] Alternatives to OCLC
	
	
	Thanks to all who have responded to my question. I have a few
options to explore...
	 
	Cynthia Hutchison, Cataloger
	Douglas County Library System
	Roseburg OR
	541.440.6007
	cmhutchi at co.douglas.or.us
	 

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