From your 1996-97 OCLC Users' Council Delegates:
Lee Hadden Bernard Strong Marcia Talley
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ph: 703-648-6088 ph: 202-287-9463 ph: 410-293-6905
February 5, 1997
OCLC USERS COUNCIL MEMORANDUM
TO: OCLC Users Council Delegates
FROM: Richard Van Orden, Users Council Program Manager
SUBJECT: Action Summary of the January 27-29, 1997 Users Council Meeting
Under the direction of Users Council President Victoria Hanawalt, results of
the recent meeting include:
1. Edward Meachen (WILS), Associate Vice Chancellor, Information Services,
University of Wisconsin-Parkside was elected as Delegate-at-Large to fill a
vacancy on the 1996/97 Users Council Executive Committee. Cynthia Clark
(OCLC Pacific) of the University of California-Irvine and John Harrison
(AMIGOS) of the University of Arkansas were introduced as new Users Council
delegates filling unexpired terms.
2. Brad Baker, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review Nominations
and Elections Procedures reported that the committee has completed its
deliberations and will submit its final report shortly. By adjusting the
nominations timeline and making some changes in the meeting structure of the
Nominating Committee, the Ad Hoc Committee believes that the process for
electing OCLC Board of Trustees and Users Council Executive Committee
members will be strengthened. If adopted, the list of some 20
recommendations will result in a limited number of changes in the Users
Council Bylaws.
3. In her Executive Committee report, Victoria Hanawalt stated that the
annual calculation of the Users Council Delegate Algorithm resulted in the
number of delegates for FEDLINK changing from three to two and the WILS
delegates increasing from one to two. The number of delegates for all other
networks and service centers remained the same for 1997/98. The Executive
Committee completed a thorough review of the Users Council Bylaws and
forwarded four possible changes to the Bylaws Committee for its
consideration. If these changes are recommended, they will be sent to
delegates 30 days prior to the May meeting where the vote on changes would
take place. Planning for the May meeting on "Model Partnerships:
Information Producers, Libraries, and OCLC" has begun. New Users Council
Assistant Jessica Smith was introduced to delegates.
Action Summary
Page 2
4. Delegates listened to Dr. K. Wayne Smith, OCLC President and Chief
Executive Officer, report on the status of OCLC*s activities in its three
priority areas of reference services and electronic publishing, enhancements
to cataloging and resource sharing services, and international expansion.
In addition, he spoke to delegates on the importance of strategic planning
and the process for accomplishing it at OCLC. Donne Olvey, Vice President
and Assistant to the President, gave an overview of OCLC*s draft strategic
plan. Delegates met in small groups by type-of-library and service area to
discuss the plan and to respond to questions prepared by the Executive
Committee.
5. Betsy Wilson (OCLC Pacific) summarized the type-of-library and
interest group discussions by noting that strategic planning at its best
creates a culture of thinking (as well as planning and acting)
strategically. Users Council recommendations included:
- OCLC should continue to expand WorldCat with specific emphasis on
enrichment.
- Delegates reaffirm the direction of controlling library costs as a
fundamental purpose.
- Increasing global expansion and perspective is crucial for OCLC, but
requires changes.
- OCLC should focus on what it has always done best - cooperation and
sharing.
- Integrating core services is critical for seamless delivery and access
for library users.
- Libraries need OCLC to integrate its services with local systems.
- Delegates encourage OCLC to develop integrated solutions via network
consultancies.
- OCLC must use and promote standards that facilitate integration and local
customization.
- OCLCs work was applauded and it was asked to encourage electronic
archiving.
- Delegates reaffirm OCLC*s emphasis on education/training & encourage a
broader focus.
6. Dan Iddings (PALINET), Assistant Director at the Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh, moderated a panel discussion on *Partnerships As a Means of
Achieving Strategic Goals.* Participants included Dan Arbor, Vice President
of Marketing/Serials Publishing at UMI; Dan Halloran, President of Academic
Book Center; and Don Muccino, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer at OCLC. Panelists noted that partnerships often enable
organizations to accomplish better and quicker together that which they
could not do alone.
c: Board of Trustees
Network Directors
OCLC Executive Committee
Users Council Alternates
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