OCLC, the non-profit computer library service and research organisation, has acquired Sustainable Collection Services (SCS), the industry leader in helping libraries manage their print collections.
Libraries everywhere are changing. Library collections are moving from print to digital, and spaces once used to house books are now dedicated to collaboration and research. Librarians need to decide what materials to keep, what can be shared among groups of libraries and what can be recycled.
OCLC maintains WorldCat, the largest aggregation of library data in the world, as well as the world's largest library resource sharing network. SCS is the leader in analyzing print collection data to help libraries manage and share their materials. SCS services leverage WorldCat data and analytics to show individual libraries and library consortia which titles should be kept locally, which can be discarded, and which are the best candidates for shared collections.
OCLC Research has been at the center of the evolution of library collections. Recent studies and reports on the subject include Right-scaling Stewardship (2014) and Understanding the Collective Collection (2013).
All four SCS staff members will join OCLC as employees. The team will participate in the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, January 30–February 2 at Booth #1916, adjacent to the OCLC Booth #1818. Staff there will be available to provide more information.
