OCLC Members Council met May 17-19 in Dublin, Ohio, USA, to discuss issues facing libraries around the world, pass resolutions to implement the previously approved Global Council and three Regional Councils, and look back on 31 years of accomplishments as Members Council concluded its final meeting.
OCLC has adopted a new governance structure designed to extend participation in the cooperative to an increasing number of libraries and cultural heritage institutions around the world.
During the May meeting, Members Council considered a new definition of OCLC membership: "Any library or other memory institution that embraces the OCLC values of collaboration and sharing is welcome. Institutions worldwide become members of OCLC by contractually agreeing to contribute intellectual content or share resources. Our cooperative is strengthened by our membership's diversity, such as geographical, institutional type, or size." This definition will be considered by the OCLC Board of Trustees at its meeting in June; if they approve, the new definition will be added to the Membership and Contributions Protocols that take effect July 1, 2009.
"Our strategy for Web-scale builds on OCLC's 40-year history of innovation and cooperation," said Mr. Jordan. "In 1967, OCLC Founder Fred Kilgour revealed a strategy to create an online union catalog through shared cataloging in order to reduce individual transaction costs for libraries. The result has been WorldCat, which has saved libraries millions of dollars in cataloging and interlibrary loan costs. Today, we are extending that strategy of cooperation to reduce the costs of library management functions such as circulation and acquisitions."
Jennifer Younger, Edward H. Arnold Director of Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame, and chair of the Review Board on the Principles of Shared Data Creation and Stewardship, presented a report to Council on the Review Board's progress. The Review Board has discussed and gathered information about the proposed Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records, which has been delayed after questions and concerns were raised about the policy.
The Review Board recommended in its report to Council that the proposed policy be formally withdrawn, and a new policy should be drafted. "We affirm that a policy is needed, but not this policy," said Ms. Younger. Until a new policy is in place, the Review Board suggested that OCLC reaffirm the existence and applicability of the Nov. 16, 1987 "Guidelines for the Use and Transfer of OCLC-Derived Records."
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