DUBLIN, Ohio, 13 June 2018. Allen County Public Library, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has signed on to implement OCLC Wise, the first community engagement system for U.S. public libraries.
The agreement represents the first commitment by a U.S. public library to implement Wise. Uniquely holistic in its design, Wise integrates tools for increasing community engagement with the functions of library management. The system is engineered to elevate library experiences, the experiences of the people who use the library, and the dedicated staff who engage with the community. It is designed around people and driven by data—enabling libraries to evolve as their communities evolve.
"Wise is intended to inspire change and innovation while sparking conversations about how to best serve our communities," said Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO. "Allen County Public Library's firm commitment to implement Wise demonstrates confidence in its ability to support the library's ambitious strategic goals and aspirations."
Allen County Public Library (ACPL) previously worked closely with OCLC in evaluative testing for Wise, a process involving multiple library departments. This focused collaboration informed initial development work and inspired future roadmap goals. It was also part of a larger effort working with library leaders across the U.S. to reinforce planning and production initiatives.
"I'm excited about the future," said ACPL Director Greta Southard, who led the evaluative testing for Wise. "Wise will help usher in positive change in how we approach many aspects of our daily work, including how we better anticipate customer needs and how we engage with our community. Our decision to partner with OCLC is part of a broader objective to think and work more cohesively, so everything we do connects directly back to the library's mission to support community lifelong learning and discovery."
"Allen County Public Library has been a tremendous partner in our process of thoughtfully tailoring Wise for U.S. public libraries, and we couldn't be happier about their decision to take this next step with us," said Mary Sauer-Games, OCLC Vice President, Global Product Management. "ACPL is committed to providing relevant and innovative services to their community. We can't wait to see how they combine their passion with the power of Wise."
With the first release of Wise in the U.S. set for this summer, OCLC will partner with more public libraries. This group of early adopters will help inform development priorities and shape future innovation.
Acquired by OCLC in 2013, Wise is a customizable and proven service that is currently used by more than 75 percent of public libraries in the Netherlands. Wise is being tailored to address the specific needs of U.S. public libraries. OCLC will continue to work with ACPL, other public libraries, and the library community at large to help inform Wise development efforts.
Learn more about Wise at the American Library Association's Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 21-26, 2018. Join staff at the OCLC booth (#2931) for special presentations and the opportunity to speak with Wise experts; or register for a dedicated overview, OCLC Wise: Community Engagement of the Future on Saturday, June 22, 1:00-2:00 pm at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 208.
About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing 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 WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC's WorldShare, 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.
