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Introducing ResearchWorks, OCLC's research lab

ResearchWorks demonstrates a few of OCLC's ideas for applying new technologies to organize information. Its demos, prototypes, and other interactive items showcase the work of OCLC researchers.

Visitors can explore the site, following their interest from one demo to another, and comment on and discuss them with others. The idea is to display some of what's on the minds—and the “workbenches”—of OCLC researchers. The ideas may serve as examples librarians can develop or incorporate into their own systems.

These are explorations and works in progress. We invite you to play with these prototypes and send us your ideas.

ResearchWorks OCLC Research

Finally, the prospect of some good budget news for libraries

President Bush’s fiscal year 2005 budget includes an 11 percent increase for LSTA and a $3-million increase for the “Librarians for the 21st Century” program

The budget proposal requests $262 million for Institute of Museum and Library Services, which breaks down into $220 million for library programs funded under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $42 million for museum programs funded under the Museum Services Act. The budget request also proposes $23 million for “Librarians for the 21st Century,” a program designed to help recruit a new generation of librarians.

ALA announcement
Highlights from IMLS
Budget table from IMLS

Boston College enters 133 millionth request into OCLC ILL service

Created on February 6, the 133 millionth request was for the journal article "Clinical Reflections of Hope" in SCI Psychosocial Process (SCI stands for Spinal Cord Injury).

The OCLC cooperative is celebrating 25 years of interlibrary loan in 2004. More than 7,000 libraries use the OCLC Interlibrary Loan service, which arranged 9.3 million loans in fiscal year 2002-2003. The 132 millionth request was produced January 5, 2004.

Boston College Libraries

OCLC welcomes the following new member libraries

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine
Location: Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
OCLC Symbol: ROSSU
OCLC Network: OCLC Latin America & the Caribbean

Alliant International University
Location: Alameda, California, USA
OCLC Symbol: ALLIU
OCLC Network: OCLC Western Service Center

Colleyville Public Library
Location: Colleyville, Texas, USA
OCLC Symbol: COLBT
OCLC Network: Independent

More information about OCLC participating institutions

WorldCat update

Every 12 seconds an OCLC member library adds a new record to WorldCat, which contains more than 54 million records representing 912,360,284 holding locations as of February 14, 2004. Every 4 seconds an OCLC member library fills an interlibrary loan request using WorldCat, which has supported 133,256,088 interlibrary loan requests as of February 14, 2004. A library user searches WorldCat using the OCLC FirstSearch service every second.

See the latest WorldCat record

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OCLC Abstracts uses the Internet to deliver timely information about OCLC services, programs, news and events directly to subscribers' desktops. This e-journal augments and complements OCLC's Web site and print communications.