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OCLC Plans to Distribute ILLiad Software
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DUBLIN, Ohio, July 7, 2000--OCLC has signed a letter of intent with Virginia Tech Intellectual
Properties, Inc. and Atlas Systems, Inc. to license and distribute ILLiad software, a leading interlibrary loan management tool that automates routine interlibrary loan functions and provides
sophisticated tracking statistics to library staff.
Pending completion of a final agreement, OCLC, working with its U.S. regional networks and
international distributors, will become the sole licensor of Illiad software. Atlas Systems will continue to develop and support the software.
OCLC ILLiad software will provide a comprehensive interlibrary loan management system that
automates routine borrowing and lending functions within a library's interlibrary loan department. ILLiad software includes interfaces to the OCLC ILL service, National Library of Medicine's
DOCLINE service and RLG's RLIN ILL service.
"My staff and I were very impressed with ILLiad's capabilities and its potential for streamlining
our operation," said John R. Brunswick, head, Interlibrary Loan, University of South Carolina. "This product addresses a long-standing need in our profession-the virtual elimination of paper
in the interlibrary loan process."
"OCLC has great breadth of experience in dealing with libraries of all sizes and types, and in
global resource sharing," said Karen Oye, head of Customer Services, University Library, Case Western Reserve University, and chair, ILLiad Users Group 2000. "We can depend on OCLC
and ILLiad to help us increase the efficiencies of our library staffs. This partnership will provide the opportunities for continued growth in ILLiad, library services and information technology."
"This is a great opportunity on two fronts," said Dan Specht, business manager, Virginia Tech
Intellectual Properties. "VTIP's innovation coupled with OCLC's global reach will make ILLiad software accessible to many more libraries worldwide. And, under this agreement, Atlas
Systems will continue to be the driving force in development and support of ILLiad-which is one of the reasons ILLiad has been so successful."
"This is an important addition to OCLC's resource sharing services," said Frank Hermes, vice
president, OCLC Marketing and Planning. "Libraries have used the OCLC Interlibrary Loan service to arrange more than 100 million interlibrary loans over the last 21 years. The addition of
ILLiad software will streamline the interlibrary loan workflow for library staff through automation, resulting in faster service for library users. ILLiad, combined with OCLC ILL, will increase the
availability of library resources and reduce library costs."
Current ILLiad licensees include: Amherst College, Brigham Young University, California Institute
of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State, Cornell University, Emory and Henry College, Georgetown University, James Madison University, Johns Hopkins Medical
Library, Linda Hall Library, Marshall University, Mary Washington College, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Nazareth College, New York State Department of Health, Ohio University,
Radford University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Stony Brook, Syracuse University, Trinity College, University of Miami, University of New
Hampshire, University of New Mexico, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Rochester, University of South Carolina, University of South Florida, University of
Tennessee-Knoxville, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wesleyan University, and Western Washington University.
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc. (VTIP) works to identify, develop, protect and market
discoveries resulting from research by Virginia Tech faculty, staff and students. ILLiad was created in the Interlibrary Loan office at Virginia Tech, and the Borrowing module is licensed through VTIP.
Atlas Systems, Inc. provides service and support for the ILLiad system, as well as licensing the
Lending module. Founded in 1996, Atlas Systems, Inc. also provides computer hardware and software consulting services.
The OCLC Interlibrary Loan service came online in 1979. In the 1998/99 fiscal year, nearly 6,200
libraries arranged over 8.2 million loans through the system. OCLC offers a number of products and services that support ILL, including the OCLC ILL Direct Request service that allows library
users to enter ILL requests with little or no staff intervention.
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