News You Can Use: OCLC Research update: Resources to meet changing community needs

OCLC Research produces knowledge, evidence, and models designed to activate library learning, innovation, and collaboration that make breakthroughs possible. While libraries have long adapted to meet evolving community needs, the events of the past two years have sent the pace of change into overdrive and library leaders and staff into unknown territory. Along the way, OCLC has gathered emerging insights and perspectives from the field to inform its research priorities and produced new resources, tools, and infrastructure to support libraries’ recovery and planning for the future.

Join this session to find out more about current projects and recent contributions from OCLC Research and WebJunction on topics including collections stewardship, civil legal reference, strategic planning, and more. You will learn about new resources and findings that are ready for library leaders and staff to use. Three projects will be featured with a more in-depth update:

Next Generation Metadata: Innovations in librarianship and technology are transforming existing metadata management practices, transitioning away from MARC to coded, shareable, linkable components that are understood by machines. Next generation metadata introduces both challenges and opportunities in efforts of re-skilling cataloging staff, developing inclusive descriptive practices and policies, and investing in partnerships. Building a National Archival Finding Aid Network

(NAFAN): This two-year initiative aims to build the foundation for a National Archival Finding Aid Network that will improve visibility of and access to archival materials stewarded by cultural institutions in the United States. OCLC is leading the qualitative and quantitative research components for this two-year research and demonstration project. We’ll provide an update on research progress and findings.

REALM (REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums) crisis management toolkit: When libraries, archives, and museums were seeking reliable information to help them make informed decisions about how to operate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle formed the REALM project to help. Now, REALM is developing a toolkit to help these organizations create a crisis management plan in the event of a future significant public health emergency.