由於現今網路技術及環境已經大量改變資料使用的方式及型態，OCLC 為了順應潮流，於去年(2008) 11月推出 Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records (WorldCat書目記錄使用及轉出政策) 草案，準備取代自 1987年採用至今的 Guidelines for the Use and Transfer of OCLC-Derived Records。不過這個草案一出馬上就引來各界撻伐，其中更有二起網路請願活動，各界的意見請參見 Code4Lib 的整理。
OCLC 雖有修改過幾次草案，但仍見批評聲音，於是在昨天推出了一份問卷，希望不論是不是 OCLC 的會員都可以藉此反應意見。問卷將會在 4月8日截止，網址如下：
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=c0hILWPafv97EDbNiRXXjg%3d%3d
這個新政策基本的主張是圖書館可以自由地：
- To use, reproduce, incorporate into works and display WorldCat records.
- To transfer WorldCat records of your library’s, archive’s or museum’s own holdings.
不過必須在底下的條件下才可以：
- Noncommercial Use. Use of WorldCat records for commercial purposes requires a separate agreement with OCLC.
- Noncommercial Transfer. WorldCat records may not be sold, sublicensed, or otherwise transferred for a fee, other economic gain or commercial purposes.
- Attribution. OCLC encourages you to identify WorldCat and OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. as the source of WorldCat-derived records.
- Reasonable Use. Use must not discourage the contribution of bibliographic and holdings data to WorldCat or substantially replicate the function, purpose, and/or size of WorldCat.
- Modification. OCLC encourages you to retain the OCLC number, the link to the policy, and any other means of attribution from WorldCat-derived records.
- Conveyance. The policy terms and conditions remain in effect following the transfer of WorldCat records.
對一般人而言，上述的政策看起來也還ok，但對 Open Library 的 Aaron Swartz 來說簡直就是氣炸了，他所建立的線上請願活動 Stop the OCLC powergrab! 多達800多人簽名支持! 他在部落格 Stealing Your Library: The OCLC Powergrab 這篇文章上數落 OCLC 最令人詬病的話題 (也就是一隻羊剝好幾層皮)，並認為 OCLC 此舉除了想綁架圖書館，更是要置 Open Library、LibraryThing、Zotero 於死地。
It was called WorldCat, for World Catalog, and it’s been a resounding success. Today it has around 50 million book records. But OCLC, the group that owns and operates it, has been a different story. It started small — a little office in Ohio, a set of membership dues to share the cost of running the servers. But OCLC’s control passed from librarians and academics to business people (its senior executive comes from consulting firm Deloitte & Touche). They realized they had a monopoly on their hands and as costs for running servers have gone down, their prices have gone up. They charge you once to get your records added to WorldCat and charge you again to get them back out and charge you a third time for a whole series of additional fees and services.
And these prices are high. A friend who runs a small public library with around 5000 cardholders was asked to pay $5400 to contribute his records and $700 to get records out, plus a whole series of “User Support” and “New Member Implementation” fees — all far more than he could afford.
….. But recently, it’s gone one step way too far. Not satisfied with controlling the world’s largest source of book information, it wants to take over all the smaller ones as well. It’s now demanding that every library that uses WorldCat give control over all its catalog records to OCLC. It literally is asking libraries to put an OCLC policy notice on every book record in their catalog. It wants to own every library.
很清楚地，OCLC 想要對 WordCat 書目資料的使用加上一些限制，因為引起不少反彈，原本要在2月實施的進程因而延後。美國研究圖書館學會(Association of Research Libraries, ARL) 還曾組成任務小組來研究 OCLC 新的政策，並提出了一份報告。另外，OLAC (Online Audiovisual Catalogers) 也在前天發表了他們的聲明。由此可知各界對 WordCat 書目資料之開放性關注的程度是多麼的大。
即然 OCLC 發出了這份問卷，那麼圖書館人應該要好好把握機會，在新的政策實施前向 OCLC 充分表達意見，以保障自己的權益。
延伸閱讀：
OLAC － OCLC’s Proposed Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records
Library Journal － ARL Says OCLC Should Revise WorldCat Policy
OCLC － Summary of the proposed Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat® Records
Library Views 圖書館觀點 