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   Here is the report from the most recent OCLC User's Council
meeting. The FEDLINK representatives are:

Lee Hadden, US Geological Survey Library ([log in to unmask]);
Marcia Talley, Nimitz Library, US Naval Academy ([log in to unmask]
mil); Bernard Strong, National Defense University ([log in to unmask]).

   The first item of business is that FEDLINK is losing one member
from the User's Council. Because of declining participation in OCLC,
FEDLINK is losing one representative, and another library consortia,
WILS, is gaining one. Next year there will be two FEDLINK
representatives, instead of three. The number of Federal libraries
have declined from ~510 member libraries to ~479, due to recent
library closings and the contracting out
of library services. Participation to the Online Union Catalog (OLUC)
by Federal libraries has declined as well. Thus, the impact and
presence of Federal libraries on the policy making User's Council
will be diminished next year.

   Other news from OCLC:

                                    Cataloging
   Since 1989, OCLC has extended $26 million in credits for original
cataloging and member contributions to the Online Union Catalog.
    PromptCat is now shelf ready. The Cataloging Micro-Enhancer (CAT
ME) for Windows is now ready.
   The enrichment of the WorldCat has continued, with the addition of
the 36th million bibliographic record entered from Cornell
University.

                                      Reference
   6,000 libraries in 47 countries are using First Search and other
reference services. This now ranks behind only cataloging in
OCLC usage. First Search has risen from NO place five years ago to
_FIRST PLACE_ as the most used electronic resource. First Search with
33% of the market has moved to first place in electronic
reference, passing Lexus/Nexus (2nd place), Westlaw (3rd place)
and Dialog (4th place) in library usage. There are now over 200,000
searches a day in First Search.
    Tsinghua University, China, has become another First Search user.
    Databases added include Chem Abstracts, Student Edition; AIDS and
Cancer research. The basic package has expanded to 13 files, and full
text reference materials have increased with the World Almanac, World
Book, New York Times, Book of Facts and Wilson Peopleline.
    The First Search homepage should be ready in Febrary, 1997 at:
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/menu/eco.htm.

                                  Interlibrary loans
    78.8 million interlibrary loan transactions has been reached.
This also shows an increase of 10.6% in interlibrary loan
transactions during the past year. This is one of the most cost
effective aspects of OCLC, since the exchange of information reduces
costs among all libraries.
    The Interlibrary Loan Micro-enhancer (ILL ME) for Windows is now
available.
    The Interlibrary Loan Fee Management (IFM) program is
growing, with 850 libraries participating, generating $2.2 million
in transactions. Although figures are not available, many
member libraries have reduced prices for IFM transactions,
due to reduced costs in collecting fees.

                                       International
    International usage of OCLC products is increasing. Fastest
growth is in the Asia-Pacific area. There are over 300 new
international users added in 1996 and 1997. A cataloging test
for Swiss and Italian libraries are
underway, as is usage of Unimarc. OCLC now has 24 hour access for
international libraries.

                                            Pricing
    Future pricing will hold the line on real price increases. OCLC
remains commited to holding prices at or below inflation rates. OCLC
has cut costs, and now has fewer people on the staff in 1997 than
in 1989. Meanwhile, employee costs are rising. Depreciation
schedules are shrinking from a 3 year schedule
for computer equipment to one measured only in months. OCLC will try
to hold any price increases to 3.5%, the estimated inflation rate.
OCLC has been holding the line in price increases since 1989, with
little or no increases during this period.

                                     Computer News
   In 1996, OCLC has paid $1.6 million in subsidies to trade in 3,000
older workstations. There are still too many older workstations (286s
and below) in the system, which slows the system down. Members need
to remove the over 2,000 computers on the system that are too old and
klunky to use the system effectively. There remains almost
900 M300 computer workstations still using OCLC. The M300 was
first introduced in 1985.
    Access to OCLC continues to be an area of advancement, with OCLC
striving for a secure and effective method of access. As such, OCLC
has entered into a partnership with Sprint to provide a secure method
of access that will avoid the common Internet problems of brownouts
and overload. For this system to work, more modern equipment is
needed by the members, and older equipment and software will not be
supported in the future.
    DOS is dead, and DOS programs will not be supported by OCLC after
January 1, 1998. Windows 3.1 software and products support will be
discontinued at a later date.

                                      OCLC Institute
    As part of the strategic plan, OCLC will develop an institute for
the training and education of library managers. As a senior policy
institute, OCLC will bring together library directors and other
people concerned with the library world in a mutually beneficial
educational setting.

                                   OCLC Strategic Plan
    OCLC is developing a strategic Plan for the next five years,
concentrating on the "Four I's Goals": Integrate, Innovate,
Internationalize and Inform. The first goal is to integrate and
enhance all the core services. The second goal is to innovate by
providing new, cost effective alternatives. The third goal is to
internationalize by increasing global expansion and global
perspective. The fourth goal is to inform by adding a training and
educational service, the OCLC Institute.

(30)


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r. lee hadden
[log in to unmask]