View this and past issues on the Web at http://www5.oclc.org/downloads/design/abstracts/

Brazilian Senate Library to use OCLC services

As part of an effort to respond to new challenges posed by the Internet, the Biblioteca Acadêmico Luiz Viana Filho, the Brazilian Senate Library, will become an OCLC member and use OCLC cataloging and interlibrary loan services, as well as QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services. Agaciel Maia of the Brazilian Senate said that membership in OCLC is part of a program to modernize the Brazilian Senate Library and will contribute to expanding access to and reducing costs of the institution’s information.

Biblioteca Acadêmico Luiz Viana Filho

Rising demand seen for tech centers in campus libraries

Technology centers in academic libraries, often set up for faculty or specialized students in art or engineering, are increasingly being used by the average student, according to a study from Research and Markets, a commercial, market research clearinghouse. If properly marketed and conveniently located, technology centers can stimulate broad-based demand for library services. Other findings:

Students like the option of borrowing laptops from their library. The libraries in turn are reporting, “virtually no problems with theft or even poor maintenance of equipment.” The availability of laptops in the library does not appear to significantly affect use of other library workstations.
E-book usage is steadily increasing, especially among smaller libraries. Increased ease of use, a focus on downloadable titles rather than special viewing devices, and an increase in the number of titles available, have led to the upsurge.
Most libraries have a wish list for digitization of special collections, but expertise is still limited and plans are thin for integrating digitized special collections into library catalogs, or publicizing them effectively over the Web.

View a summary of the report

Attending the ACRL 12th National Conference, April 7-10? Put OCLC on your schedule

Visit booth #315 to see how OCLC services help college and research libraries leverage the value of cooperation in many areas: cataloging, eContent, reference, digital collections, resource sharing and more. Get the latest information on the Open WorldCat program, which puts library collections in search enginer results where Web searchers are looking for information. And don’t miss OCLC’s Product Update Session (Exhibitor Theater, 9:00 am, April 8) on the new WorldCat Collection Analysis service, which can help you compare holdings with thousands of peer institutions that have holdings in WorldCat.

ACRL Conference Web site

OCLC welcomes these new member libraries

L’Institut Canadien de Québec
Location: Québec, Canada
OCLC Symbol: CNLCQ
OCLC Network: OCLC Canada

Dr. Howard Elementary School
Location: Champaign, Illinois, USA
OCLC Symbol: ILDHE
OCLC Network: ILLINET

Carrie Busey Elementary School
Location: Champaign, Illinois, USA
OCLC Symbol: ILCBE
OCLC Network: ILLINET

Membership guidelines and protocols

WorldCat update

WorldCat is the world’s most comprehensive bibliographic database. Updated at a rate of nearly one new record every 10 seconds, WorldCat contains more than 58 million bibliographic records and holdings information contributed by more than 8,500 libraries around the world. The new Open WorldCat program makes the items in library collections—physical and digital, popular or special—discoverable by people searching the Internet.

See the latest WorldCat record

Subscribe/Unsubscribe | Questions/Comments

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.