| October 14, 2004
- Orem, Utah
Backstage Library Works acquired the MARS
authority control service from OCLC this week, ensuring continuity
for current MARS patrons. The move also expands
the range of library records-handling services offered by
the Orem, Utah, company formerly known as MARC Link.
“We’ve used the MARS service
ourselves, as a reseller,” said Backstage
president John Merrill. “This is a premier service that
we know and value. We already do cataloging and indexing,
so this is a natural addition for us. It’s another great
way to serve our clients.”
OCLC’s decision to pass the torch was only a mild surprise.
As part of an organizational streamlining process, OCLC had
stopped accepting new clients and announced its intention
to evaluate new options for its authority control services.
MARS is a better fit at Backstage, whose
core business services include cataloging and retrospective
conversion.
Both companies are working to ensure a smooth handover, honoring
existing contracts, maintaining the current price structure,
using the same software and sharing library profiles. “OCLC
and the staff in Lacey, Washington are helping us to make
sure there is a seamless transition for patrons,” Merrill
said.
Continuity is the key requirement for authority control patrons,
since moving to a new provider is an expensive, laborious
process. “Patrons will see this as a formality, because
nothing in the actual service they receive is going to change,”
Merrill said. “The only changes they can expect
to see are improvements in the service.”
Backstage plans to restore manual review,
a MARS component service that was suspended
by OCLC some time ago. Beyond that, the company has a list
of software updates and improvements requested by MARS
patrons. “As we implement those requests, we’ll
see incremental improvements to the MARS
software itself,” Merrill said.
But first, Backstage will reopen the MARS
service to new client libraries—a sign of the company’s
long-term commitment (OCLC had stopped accepting new patrons
earlier this summer). “Of course we’ll be seeking
new clients,” Merrill said. “We wouldn’t
get into this business if we didn’t expect it to grow.”
2004 | 2003 | 2002
| 2001
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