From your 1997-98 OCLC Users' Council Delegates:
   Benard Strong          Marcia Talley
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   ph: 202-287-9463       ph: 410-293-6905


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Nita Dean +1-614-761-5002
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Dixie Sansom: +1-850-488-1721
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FLORIDA LIBRARIES, SOLINET AND OCLC
TO BUILD A DISTANCE LEARNING LIBRARY

DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 10, 1997--Community college, university and public
libraries in Florida, along with the Southeastern Library Network
(SOLINET) and OCLC, are building an electronic library to support the
emerging distance education programs in Florida's higher education
community.

The Florida Distance Learning Library Initiative provides Florida's
community college and university students with desktop access to a rich
electronic collection of databases and library catalogs.  Using the
Internet and World Wide Web, students connect to the online collection
from their homes, offices and classrooms--or from the nearest community
college, university or public library.  When fully implemented, the
distance learning library will include scholarly electronic journals,
online class reserve materials, electronic course syllabuses,
patron-initiated interlibrary loan, and computerized reference and
referral services.

The state of Florida is providing $2 million in the 1997-98 fiscal year
for the Florida Distance Learning Network and the Florida Institute of
Public Postsecondary Distance Learning Board.  Florida's Distance
Learning Library Initiative is a cooperative effort among the State
Department of Education's Division of Community Colleges, headed by
Clark Maxwell Jr., executive director, Florida Community College System;
its Division of Universities, headed by Charles Reed, chancellor,
Florida State University System; and the Department of State, which
oversees the State Library of Florida, headed by Sandra Mortham, Florida
secretary of state.

"This project capitalizes on Florida's leadership in library automation
and in nontraditional, nonclassroom learning opportunities for our
community college and university students," said Mr. Maxwell.  "The goal
is to meet the academic needs of distance learners by delivering
information to them when and where they need it."

"If distance education programs are to be credible and successful, the
distance learner must have the same library and information services as
the on-campus student," said Dr. Reed. "With the involvement of the
community colleges, state universities and the state library system,
Florida's distance education initiatives and distance learning library
project provide an unprecedented opportunity for our state to be the
nation's leader in utilizing and integrating new learning and
information technologies."

"The Distance Learning Library Initiative maximizes utilization of
library resources and effects a statewide reduction in the duplication
of effort among libraries," said Ms. Mortham.  "It also exemplifies the
state's commitment to providing cost-effective, expanded access to the
distance learner by ease of access to a standard set of electronic
resources available at home or the nearest library, regardless of
library type or geographic location."

"SOLINET is pleased to work with the public libraries, the state
universities and the community colleges of Florida on this innovative
project," said Kate F. Nevins, executive director, SOLINET.  "Training
and support will help ensure an effective implementation and broad
access to information resources for the students of Florida."

"The state of Florida and OCLC are creating a new model of library
service for distance learning," said K. Wayne Smith, OCLC president and
CEO.  "The distance learning library OCLC is building will come to the
students--whether they are in their homes, offices, classrooms or the
nearest library.  It enables them to seamlessly explore an integrated,
comprehensive electronic collection of bibliographic, abstract and
full-text information and to identify and obtain what is needed."

For the Distance Learning Library Initiative, OCLC is providing:

*  Access to databases on the OCLC FirstSearch service, one of the
library community's fastest growing information services.  FirstSearch
is designed for end users and provides access to more than 60 databases,
links to the World Wide Web, online full text, document delivery,
library holdings and interlibrary loan.  It can be used via the World
Wide Web or a text-based interface.

*  OCLC SiteSearch software for managing local and remote resources
under one interface for a single point of access and for creating and
loading databases.  The software is based on national and international
information standards and allows interoperability among different
information systems.

*  Access from Florida's local library networks to the OCLC FirstSearch
service in Dublin, Ohio, via a dedicated link and the Internet.

SOLINET, an OCLC-affiliated regional network, will provide profiling,
training and support services for the library project.  Founded in 1973,
SOLINET is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, multitype library membership
organization of more than 800 member libraries and information centers
in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia [www.solinet.net].

OCLC Online Computer Library Center is a nonprofit, membership, computer
library service and research organization whose computer network and
services link
more than 25,000 libraries in 63 countries
and territories [www.oclc.org].         (TS/ND)

 -30-

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Date:         Mon, 13 Oct 1997 14:40:53 -0400
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Subject:      Florida Libraries,
              SOLINET and OCLC To Build a Distance Learning Library
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