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and Core are partnering to provide free access to OCLC’s WorldShare Management Services sandbox, the test environment for the platform, that will allow Core members seeking professional development opportunities a chance to work hands-on with a cloud-based library management system.

The partnership was announced today during the Core President's Program at the 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Formed through the merger of the Association for Library Cataloging and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library Information Technology Association (LITA), and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), 91´«Ã½ Core members represent a broad group of library workers who engage with library systems in a variety of ways. Partnering with OCLC to provide members with access to a library system offers a unique learning opportunity, particularly for early career library workers, library workers seeking professional development in systems, and library administrators learning about systems.

“I am delighted to initiate this strategic partnership with OCLC. Access to library systems is a barrier, particularly for early career library workers. Together, Core and OCLC will address that barrier by providing not just access but also training. I believe this will be a powerful and meaningful benefit not only to Core members but to the profession broadly,” said Lindsay Cronk, Core’s 2021-2022 President.

(WMS) is a cloud-based library services platform with as its foundation, which allows library staff to draw on OCLC's shared data network and technology for more efficient workflows. WMS also enables staff to better manage resources in all formats and to provide their users with improved access to the library's collections and the world's knowledge.

The 91´«Ã½ Library has been a WMS user since 2015. OCLC has created a sandbox based on the 91´«Ã½ WMS subscription that will work from the 91´«Ã½ Library’s collection and data.

“OCLC is proud to partner with 91´«Ã½ Core to provide this benefit to its membership,” said Mary Sauer-Games, OCLC Vice President, Global Product Management. “This partnership offers Core members an opportunity to engage with a state-of-the-art library services platform as part of their professional development. We believe this will be of great value to Core members no matter where they are in their journey as library professionals.”

More information about is available on the OCLC website.

About Core

is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, metadata and collections, and technology. Core members play a central role in every library, shaping the future of the profession by striking a balance between maintenance and innovation, process and progress, collaborating and leading. Members serve in every level of responsibility for the implementation and maintenance of core services, from the practitioners who keep things running day-to-day to the innovators going in new directions to those making funding decisions, as well as the library school students who will shape the future.

About OCLC

is a nonprofit global library organization that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research, and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain , the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s , a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff, and partners make breakthroughs possible.

OCLC, WorldCat and WorldShare are trademarks and/or service marks of OCLC, Inc. Third-party product, service and business names are trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners.