OCLC announced today that the UKB consortium of Dutch university libraries and the National Library of the Netherlands have signed a new agreement to move library services to OCLC WorldShare.
This move by UKB means that its members, which include university libraries in the Netherlands as well as the National Library, will be able to integrate their metadata management, resource sharing and discovery services into a global network to maximise efficiencies in workflow and IT infrastructure.
WorldShare provides an open cloud-based approach for sharing metadata, applications and innovation, enabling library consortia to collaborate at a national or regional level as well as connecting globally to raise visibility and awareness of their institutions on the web, and take advantage of the economies of scale that global collaboration brings.
The new agreement is an essential part of UKB’s strategy for academic service provision, and recognises the importance of globalisation in the higher education sector.
“Our users act out there on the Web,” said Anja Smit, Chair of the UKB Board of Executives, and University Librarian at Utrecht University. “This agreement with OCLC will help libraries put their services and collections where their users are. With this approach, we are creating the ultimate digital academic library experience for our future.”
“OCLC is delighted to be announcing this important step in the implementation of OCLC’s WorldShare strategy,” says Eric van Lubeek, Managing Director, OCLC EMEA. “UKB’s move will serve as an example for other libraries and library consortia, not just in the Netherlands, but around the world. With UKB, we are in the early stages of an innovative journey, and together with these libraries, we will shape the transition to WorldShare.”
Twelve members of the UKB consortium, along with the National Library of the Netherlands, signed the agreement. TU Eindhoven is not part of the new arrangement.
