Library information provider OCLC, US, has announced that Tilburg University, in the Netherlands, has gone live with WorldCat Local, the company's cloud-based discovery and delivery service that allow users to search their library's collection along with the collections of thousands of other libraries worldwide. With the launch of WorldCat Local, Tilburg University has chosen to focus first on the most user-critical service while taking a significant step toward migration of its entire library management workflow to the cloud with the adoption of OCLC WorldShare Management Services.
Students and faculty can now quickly and easily find and get materials they need through WorldCat Local, the discovery tool that offers a single search box to find what they need in Tilburg University Library as well as in the collections of other libraries around the world. With the University's collections already present in WorldCat, the configuration of its electronic collections in the WorldCat knowledge base further facilitates the discovery and delivery of electronic resources. This has provided the foundation for the next stage in its migration.
WorldCat Local can be a stand-alone service, or part of WorldShare Management Services, OCLC's new cloud-based library management services that provide tools to improve library workflows, reduce costs and offer new opportunities for collaboration. In the United States, there are currently 60 libraries already using the new WorldShare Management Services. In Australia, 12 libraries have started piloting the services.
OCLC has recently opened new data centers in London, Toronto and Sydney, in addition to the two that already exist in the United States, to serve libraries around the world interested in using the cloud-based services. Another data center in continental Europe is planned.
