INWOOD, WV, May 29, 2001 The Library Corporation (TLC) and its recently acquired partner organization, CARL Corporation today announced that it has signed a major agreement to provide extensive custom processing services to Baker & Taylor -- a global information and entertainment services company that delivers books, videos, music and services to libraries, retailers and educational institutions.
The new, expansive solution from TLC will be utilized by Baker & Taylor's Customized Library Services (CLS) division and comes at a point in time in which that group is experiencing substantial growth. To meet rising customer demand, CLS anticipates that over the next 12 months, its personnel will more than double its current number of professionals. Making its cataloging challenges even greater, CLS which supplies MARC records and custom cataloging services maintains operations in four, geographically dispersed regions. These include Nevada, Illinois, Georgia and New Jersey. From these locations, it custom catalogs and processes several million items per year.
To fully address these requirements, TLC will provide hardware and software technology that will network all four locations for delivery of MARC records and shared cataloging resources. Baker & Taylor will also utilize TLC's comprehensive cataloging database ITSMARC, in conjunction with their advanced cataloging utilities. The new approach from TLC provides CLS professionals with online access directly to the customer's database, as well as a pool of many resource databases to provide new cataloging records for their customers. In addition, the system minimizes the challenges associated with utilizing multiple, unrelated interfaces--which can be time-consuming and complicated.
"We are extremely excited about our partnership with TLC," said George Coe, President of Baker & Taylor Institutional. "TLC's vast resources, including their premier cataloging utility and database management capabilities, combined with our comprehensive fulfillment services from CLS, will enable Baker & Taylor to meet the growing demand for customized cataloging and processing. This partnership will allow Baker & Taylor to provide our customers with enhanced levels of service that are unmatched in the industry", Coe added.
The partnership calls for Baker & Taylor to purchase new hardware and software, which will be hosted at TLC's Inwood, West Virginia corporate campus and, in turn, will be networked to Baker & Taylor. TLC will also perform all maintenance and administrative functions.
As Livia Bitner, Baker & Taylor Senior Vice President for Customized Library Services, commented, "Growth is wonderful, but it requires the right combination of people and technology. TLC's approach will enable our four service centers to share resources and receive quality MARC records. Further, we anticipate achieving a 30-40% increase in capacity due to the increased staff and automation improvements."
Baker & Taylor selected TLC at the conclusion of a search phase lasting eight months. Noted Bitner, "We believe that our library customers will benefit tremendously."
Also commenting today was Annette Bakhtiar, President and CEO for TLC, who stated, "Baker & Taylor is a recognized industry leader whose success and growth demand the most efficient cataloging tools available. We are extremely proud to design and implement this customized approach. Our entire team is energized to once again demonstrate that TLC provides 'Solutions that Deliver.'"
About The Library Corporation (TLC)
The Library Corporation, headquartered in Inwood, West Virginia, with regional offices in Denver and Singapore, was founded 26 years ago and has a singular mission: to enhance the library experience for librarians and their patrons. For information on TLC, access www.TLCdelivers.com or call (800) 325-7759.
About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc., based in Charlotte, N.C., is a global information and entertainment services company that offers books, videos, music and services to libraries, traditional and Internet retailers and educational institutions. More information can be found www.btol.com.
