OCLC to be main sponsor of Jisc Conference 2008

It was announced today that international library organisation OCLC is to be the main sponsor of the Jisc Conference 2008 next month.Established more than 40 years ago and now the largest library-based cooperative in the world, OCLC develops products and services for the library community, undertakes research and connects libraries around the world. This is the first time that OCLC has sponsored the Jisc conference and, in an interview to mark the announcement, European Director John MacColl says that OCLC is 'delighted' to be sponsoring the Jisc conference, especially, he suggests, as this year's event sees the launch of Jisc's 'Libraries of the Future' communication theme.Recommending the session entitled 'From e-Lib to the library of the future' - to be addressed, amongst others, by Lorcan Dempsey, Vice President and Chief Strategist at OCLC - John MacColl says: 'The Jisc-funded e-Lib programme had such a terrific buzz about it. I was involved with e-Lib and we were addressing urgent issues as a community across the UK. It would be great if some of that could be reinvigorated through the conference and through the Libraries of the Future theme... It's so important for our community – probably more important than for decades.'He goes on to speak of the importance of libraries to academic success, their major influence on the engagement of education and research sectors with the web and the leading role of OCLC in supporting libraries across the world. The conference, he suggests, will provide an important opportunity for these themes and issues to be addressed.