Global library cooperative OCLC, US, together with OCLC Global Council and members, has introduced a new platform, OCLC WorldShare. The platform is projected to enable library developers, partners and other organisations to create, configure and share a wide range of applications that deliver new functionality and value for libraries and their users.
OCLC will also deploy data centres around the world in support of OCLC WorldShare and other services. The first data centre outside the US will be implemented this week in the UK. Additional data centres will be deployed in continental Europe, Australia and Canada in the coming year.
The OCLC WorldShare Platform facilitates collaboration and app-sharing across the library community, so that libraries can combine library-built applications, partner-built applications and OCLC-built applications. This is seen to enable the benefits of each single solution to be shared broadly throughout the library community.
In the coming weeks, participants from platform pilot libraries will work with members of the OCLC Developer Network to help create and build new applications to populate the OCLC WorldShare App Gallery. Here, where users will see available apps and install them into current work environments. Developers can showcase their creativity, partners can create add-on functionality and library staff can find practical, everyday solutions to streamline and enhance their workflows.
The first services built on this new technical infrastructure are Webscale Management Services, which have been rebranded as OCLC WorldShare Management Services, and include circulation, acquisitions and license management applications. Today, more than 30 libraries are already using OCLC WorldShare Management Services, and more than 150 libraries worldwide have committed to the new service since September 2010.
Over time, OCLC will bring together additional OCLC services and applications under the OCLC WorldShare name, including resource sharing, consortial borrowing, metadata management and additional applications. OCLC's currently deployed library management solutions will continue to be maintained and enhanced in line with libraries' ongoing requirements under their current brand names.
WorldCat will continue to serve as the name for shared data, including registries and the knowledge base, as well as discovery services such as WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local.
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