Friends OCLC has recently announced a major initiative, what it calls, "the first Web-scale, cooperative library management service". This will ultimately bring into WorldCat Local the full complement of functions traditionally performed by a locally installed integrated library system (ILS). The initiative, when it becomes full-fledged wll no doubt challenge the ILS market place. OCLC's vision involves shifting increasing portions of activity managed library-by-library through locally or consortially implemented automation systems to the network level, subsumed under the global WorldCat infrastructure. Libraries that subscribe to FirstSearch WorldCat will get, for no additional charge, the WorldCat Local "quick start" service: a locally branded catalog interface. People may like to see the article in the link below by Marshall Breeding, a well respected expert in library technologies. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6653619.html Haravu -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.