Please find information from OCLC PICA which I hope you will find of 
interest. 
Warm regards, Catherine

OCLC PICA’s new whitepaper says library systems should Synthesise, 
Specialise, Mobilise

“Libraries today represent a holistic information environment and library 
systems which are at the forefront of technology and in tune with 
librarian and end-user requirements should make the management and 
delivery of this effective and efficient,” says OCLC PICA’s strategy and 
marketing director, Robin Murray.  The European library cooperative’s 
latest whitepaper, Synthesise, Specialise, Mobilise, challenges the view 
of the integrated library system’s core business and service model which 
for many could still be described as ‘Acquire – Catalog – Circulate’.  
Murray states that the business and service model for libraries needs to 
evolve to encompass synthesising, specialising and mobilising web-based 
services.

He adds, “To maximise the value of our library services, the industry 
needs to be far more externally focused than it has traditionally been. 
The services we are synthesising will increasingly be coming 
from ‘foreign’ parties and our services will need to be mobilised into 
domains outside of the traditional library sphere such as Microsoft Office 
tools, e-learning systems and profession-specific software applications. 
The industry needs to foster links with these adjacent domains at all 
levels if we are to realise the value inherent in our services.”

Murray emphasises that today’s libraries need to synthesise ‘atomic’ web 
services into one user-centred environment.  The paper defines atomic web 
services as those traditionally used by the library such as content and 
metadata, as well as more diverse and generic web services such as 
authentication, taxonomies and spell-checkers.  He adds, “To allow users 
easier access to this ever-changing sea of web services, library systems 
need to be more open and externally focused by offering a ‘plug-and-play’ 
environment to allow libraries to create holistic patron-focused 
services.” 

The key value proposition of the local or specialist library derives from 
its physical presence, integration of local or specialist services and the 
detailed knowledge of the user population it serves. In a flattened world 
where information services can be delivered from anywhere on the computer 
network, libraries must maintain their usefulness and relevance by 
leveraging these unique strengths to provide a specialised service for 
their patrons.  Unique strengths include the ability to tailor the service 
to specific user groups and to integrate local systems and services from 
the library or community (whether specialist medical users, or ethic 
groups local to a public library).

Throughout this evolution:
-	Libraries have to be alert and responsive to changes and be ready 
to take advantage of the economies and service enhancements generated.
-	Network service providers have to be continually looking for 
opportunities to provide new ‘synthesisable services’.
-	Library systems have to be sufficiently flexible to support the 
changing nature of service provision.

The concept of mobilisation – where the library finds the user at their 
point of need - is a key factor in driving up library use and value.  
Murray adds, “Potential library users can now be on the web; using their 
suite of Microsoft Office applications; students using their e-Learning 
environments; doctors using their clinical management systems; researchers 
with their electronic lab books – and the library needs to see these 
applications as potential points of entry for the library. The ability to 
tightly integrate rich, user-centred library services into workplace 
applications promises to unlock the latent value in information services 
and to ensure that libraries are valued for many years to come.” 

To receive a copy of the whitepaper, contact: [log in to unmask]