OCLC WorldShare

WorldShare Overview

OCLC members have made it clear: libraries are faced with scarce resources, disparate systems and local maintenance issues. Demand for library services has never been higher and new, innovative responses are needed to meet these challenges. The goals of OCLC WorldShare Management™ Services are to save time and money while simplifying library workflows. An Advisory Council, pilot libraries, early adopters, and the OCLC WorldShare user community all have been engaged in shaping these services to meet those needs.

WorldCat cataloging and resource sharing members already benefit from the work of other libraries. Similarly, sharing more data elements, processes and new apps will broadly serve the global library community. Essentially, OCLC WorldShare Management Services provide an environment for new sharing opportunities.

WorldShare News

  • Join OCLC for an In-Depth Demonstration of WorldShare Management Services: Acquisitions and License Manager

On Thursday, May 16, 2:00 pm, (Eastern)  you can find out how OCLC WorldShare Management Services provide a new cooperative approach to managing library services, such as integrated acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, patron administration, resource sharing and e-resource management.
 
View event details and register here.

  • Introducing WorldShare Metadata and WorldShare Interlibrary Loan

The library community has made it clear that traditional management systems lack the flexibility to meet the challenges of changing collections and the needs of library users. And since the demand for library services has never been higher, new collaborative and innovative solutions are needed now more than ever.

With ongoing member feedback, OCLC is now incrementally moving new and existing OCLC services to the WorldShare Platform, including WorldShare Metadata and WorldShare Interlibrary Loan. One of the key design principles for the WorldShare architecture is vendor neutrality, recognizing that libraries work within an environment of non-OCLC and OCLC services.

Learn about these exciting new WorldShare services and applications here.

  • Developers can now build applications with real-time data from the new WorldCat Live! API

Developed by the OCLC Innovation Lab, the WorldCat Live! API provides a real-time stream of newly added records of library collections and published materials to WorldCat. It is freely available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License.

View API live here.

 

Why OCLC WorldShare Management Services

OCLC is connecting the content, technology and expert capabilities of its member libraries worldwide to create the first Webscale, cooperative library management service. The collective vision is to move services to the network or "the cloud," whereby libraries use the same shared hardware, services and data, rather than hosting hardware and software on behalf of individual libraries.

The cooperative nature of this project leverages the powerful ethos of library resource sharing—opening up opportunities for cooperative intelligence by making sharable data available to all users—a "network effect" not available when library management systems are simply hosted by another organization.

OCLC is moving routine, yet critical library services—including unified acquisition, subscription and license management and circulation—to the cloud. This will generate cost benefits and efficiencies not possible when utilizing disparate and specialized systems.

These services integrate with those OCLC services already operating at Webscale, such as cataloging and resource sharing, so cooperation and collaboration can yield results for the library community far beyond those achievable by single organizations.

What makes OCLC WorldShare Management Services unique?

Standing apart from traditional library management services, OCLC WorldShare Management Services are truly revolutionary. They:

  • Leverage the size and scope of WorldCat, the largest library catalog on earth, and the OCLC cooperative;
  • Allow for shareable data about back-office services;
  • Work entirely on the Web, eliminating many support issues;
  • Integrate with discovery and delivery functions; and
  • Provide data, tools and services that programmers and developers from any organization, no matter how big or small, can use to create applications and share ideas.

According to our members, the costs of "business as usual" are unacceptably high. Moving management services to Webscale is the next, logical step.

Get the latest information on OCLC WorldShareTM Management Services.