From your 1997-98 OCLC Users' Council Delegates:
   Benard Strong          Marcia Talley
   [log in to unmask]        [log in to unmask]
   ph: 202-287-9463       ph: 410-293-6905

                                                  October 17, 1997

OCLC USERS COUNCIL MEMORANDUM


TO:       OCLC Users Council Delegates

FROM:     Richard Van Orden, Users Council Program Manager

SUBJECT:  Summary of the October 5-7, 1997 Users Council Meeting


     Under the direction of President Merryll Penson, the OCLC Users Council
meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, October  5, 1997 at OCLC in Dublin,
Ohio.  The topic of this fall meeting was "Integrate:  Valuing Collaboration
and Cooperation."  Fifty-six delegates and two alternates, including fifteen
new delegates, participated in the first Users Council of the 1997/98 year.


BUSINESS

     In response to the announcement by Dr. K. Wayne Smith that he will step
down in June of 1998 as OCLC President and Chief Executive Officer, Users
Council adopted the following resolution proposed by Larry Alford, a
delegate from SOLINET.

RESOLUTION FOR DR. K. WAYNE SMITH

     Whereas, Dr. K. Wayne Smith has announced to the OCLC Users Council
that he will retire in June 1998;

     Whereas, Dr. Smith came to OCLC and the library community after a
distinguished career in government, education, and business;

     Whereas, under his leadership, OCLC has strengthened its ability to
provide cutting-edge information services to libraries and, more
importantly, their users;

     Whereas, under his leadership, OCLC has contributed enormously to the
economic well-being of libraries by bringing them over $60,000,000 in
credits and incentives;

     Whereas, under his leadership, OCLC has created many important and
diverse information services in electronic reference, electronic publishing,
resource sharing, and training;

     Whereas, as a result of his stewardship, OCLC is financially a stronger
organization that is, therefore, better able to support its members;

     Whereas, Dr. Smith has been an articulate voice in support of research
resulting in positive change in information access and services;

     Whereas, he brought much humor to the Sunday evening Users Council
meetings;

     Whereas, he will be long missed and never forgotten:

     Therefore, be it resolved that OCLC Users Council on behalf of the
member libraries, participating institutions, and the communities of
information users served by OCLC offers Dr. K. Wayne Smith hearty
congratulations on the announcement of his retirement; looks forward to many
occasions during the next year to honor him; looks forward to continuing to
work with him in other capacities; offers its best wishes as he returns to
his native North Carolina deep in the heart of SOLINET; and expresses its
deep appreciation and thanks for his many contributions to and
accomplishments on behalf of the world*s libraries.

Unanimously Adopted by the OCLC Users Council on October 7, 1997

                                   (Signed)
                                   Merryll S. Penson, 1997/98 President
                                   OCLC Users Council


OCLC PRESIDENT*S REPORT

     Dr. K. Wayne Smith discussed the status of OCLC*s activities in the
areas of reference services and electronic publishing, enhancements to
cataloging and resource sharing services, and international expansion.  He
talked with delegates about the value of OCLC membership, the sale of
Information Dimensions, Inc., and the purchase of the authority control
system from Blackwell of North America.  He announced the appointment of
Connie Zuga as Vice President, Reference Services.  In addition to stating
that he would continue to serve OCLC in an advisory capacity after his
retirement, Dr. Smith reported that 1996/97 was OCLC*s fourth record year in
a row in use of services and financially.


USERS COUNCIL PRESIDENT*S REPORT

     In her report, Merryll Penson noted that the Executive Committee has
carefully implemented the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee to Review
Nominations and Elections Procedures and the revised bylaws which Users
Council adopted last May.  The purpose of these changes was to strengthen
the process whereby delegates are elected to various Users Council
leadership and Board of Trustee positions.  Planning is underway for the
next Users Council meeting on "Innovate and Inform:  Libraries and the Value
of Learning."  Any suggestions for the February meeting or other comments
can be sent to her.

PANEL DISCUSSION

     A panel comprised of Bernie Hurley, Chief Scientist, University of
California, Berkeley Libraries; Jerry Kline, Owner and President, Innovative
Interfaces Inc., and Georgia Brown, OCLC Vice President, Product Development
began the morning of October 6.  Moderated by Betsy Wilson of the Users
Council Executive Committee, these individuals discussed "Challenges and
Opportunities In Integrating Local Systems and OCLC Services" and answered
questions from delegates.  Panelists emphasized that technological advances
and changes in the distribution of networked information increase the need
for communication and collaboration among libraries, local system vendors,
other partners, and OCLC.  The continued development of advanced library
systems and the building of a national digital library require greater
cooperation and creativity as well as the use of available technologies.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS:  THE TIES THAT BIND

     Larry Learn, OCLC Director of Telecommunications Planning, updated
delegates on "What*s Up in the Telecommunications Industry?"  He focused on
items of interest to libraries such as universal service, filtering, and
telecommunications costs for schools and libraries which have become issues
for the Federal Communications Commission in the implementation of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996.  While summarizing the historical background
and subsidies starting before the divestiture of the AT&T system, he noted
that numerous legal filings make the act a work in progress.

     Stuart Lynn, Associate Vice President for Information Resources and
Communications, University of California Office of the President, talked
about "Internet2:  The Vision and the Progress."  He noted the October 1
announcement that 112 leading U.S. research universities have established
the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development in the latest
Internet2 development.  He described communication and educational benefits
which he believes will come from the deployment of enhanced
telecommunications.

OTHER PRESENTATIONS

     Donald Muccino, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
discussed OCLC*s plans for "Integration Through Innovation."  He described
several steps including departmental meetings, a bridge document, various
task forces, budgeting, and planning which are in progress to accomplish the
fifth "I" which is implementation of the strategic plan. OCLC*s vision is to
"provide seamless, reliable access to bibliographic, abstract, and full-text
information where and when members need, in a form they want, at a price
they can afford."  To accomplish this, three goals emerge.

     1.  Integrate all core services including cataloging, resource sharing,
and reference
     2.  Innovate new, cost-effective electronic solutions
     3.  Integrate OCLC services with local library environments.

     Leo Voogt, Secretary General of the International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions, addressed delegates on the "Values and
Benefits of International Cooperation."  In remembering that IFLA had met in
Beijing a few years ago, he quoted a Chinese perspective that, "No one wave
is totally alone in the seas of the world."  Three tenets of international
cooperation are:

     1.  Belief in the effectiveness of the collective
     2.  Belief in the healthiness of diversion
     3.  Belief in the global character of the challenges.

     In meeting the challenges facing the profession of librarianship, we
need to build coalitions like the Coalition for Networked Information and
the successful public library groups.  Derived from the four letters of
OCLC, Mr. Voogt summarized his remarks by saying that the value of
international cooperation is opportunity-driven, communications-based,
learning-based, and coalition-building.

     Terry Noreault, Director of the OCLC Office of Research and Special
Projects, talked about current research projects.  A number of activities
are focusing on metadata and Resource Description Framework.  The Kilroy
Project is exploring the nature of Internet resources by sampling and
building databases of those resources.  Work on automated classification and
the enhancement of subject headings is continuing.  The eXperimental Digital
Library emphasizes computerized tools for creating and accessing
information.  The FirstSearch Next Generation work is exploring the use of
Java for the interface and search engine.  The Office of Research is
focusing on metadata, tools development, and technology assessment.

     Rick Schwieterman, Vice President  for Finance and Human Resources,
reported that OCLC revenues increased by 6.6% to about $140 million dollars
in 1996/97.  This is consistent with the pattern of recent years.

     Liz Bishoff, Vice President for Member Services, updated delegates on
recent developments at OCLC including member milestones for cataloging and
interlibrary loan.  More than 10,000 libraries now use FirstSearch and
conduct some 200,000 searches a day.  Worldwide, 25,000 libraries in 63
countries use OCLC services.  OCLC will be a Federal Depository Library
Program partner in the National Library of Education Pilot Project.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS

     David Cohen (SOLINET) summarized the small group discussions of the key
questions for the meeting by saying that the goal of integration is to free
the user from the departmentalization of information.  Emerging trends
include the growing importance of consortia, an increasingly sophisticated
user living in the world of the web, closer relationships between libraries
and computing centers, a renewed appreciation for standards and the need to
economize.  Barriers to integration are technical requirements, people, and
money.  Things which OCLC and libraries can do to promote integration and
interoperability are:

 -  Stay focused on the strategic goal of integration
 -  Press for increased dialogue and communication among the interested
partners
 -  Promote and publicize formal standards
 -  Move quickly to develop community standards and best practices
 -  Dedicate more staff time to integration activities
 -  Develop a strategy to influence larger projects such as Internet2
 -  Focus research on integration and other strategic plan priorities
 -  Keep prices low.


INTEREST GROUP DISCUSSIONS

     Interest Group Reports were given by the following Users Council
co-leaders.  The major points which these groups discussed will be included
in their minutes which will be issues separately at a later date.

Communications and Access          --  Susan Baughman
Reference Services/Electronic Publishing     --  Barbara Gubbin
Resource Sharing                   --  Ellen Hoffmann
Technical Services            --  Larry Alford

ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING

     The meeting adjourned at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, October 7, 1997.  The
next meeting of the OCLC Users Council will be February 8-10, 1998.