This just in:
OCLC acquires DiMeMa, developer of
software
for digital media management
CONTENTdm Digital Collection
Management Software
key component of OCLC digital solution
set
"DUBLIN, Ohio, August 15, 2006—OCLC Online
Computer Library Center has acquired DiMeMa (Digital Media Management), the
organization that developed and supports CONTENTdm, the leading digital
management software for libraries distributed by OCLC.
CONTENTdm software
offers a complete set of tools to store, manage and deliver digital collections
such as historical documents, photos, newspapers, audio and video on the Web.
OCLC has been the exclusive distributor of CONTENTdm software to libraries,
cultural heritage organizations and other nonprofit organizations since
2002."
The full press release is behind the cut. Enjoy!
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
FOR MORE
INFORMATION:
Bob Murphy
+1-614-761-5136
OCLC acquires DiMeMa, developer of
software
for digital media management
CONTENTdm Digital Collection
Management Software
key component of OCLC digital solution
set
DUBLIN, Ohio, August 15, 2006—OCLC Online
Computer Library Center has acquired DiMeMa (Digital Media Management), the
organization that developed and supports CONTENTdm, the leading digital
management software for libraries distributed by OCLC.
CONTENTdm software
offers a complete set of tools to store, manage and deliver digital collections
such as historical documents, photos, newspapers, audio and video on the Web.
OCLC has been the exclusive distributor of CONTENTdm software to libraries,
cultural heritage organizations and other nonprofit organizations since
2002.
“CONTENTdm is the
industry leader in digital management software for libraries,” said Jay Jordan,
OCLC President and CEO. “CONTENTdm makes it possible for libraries to easily
manage their own, unique digital collections. As part of OCLC, the DiMeMa team
will be better positioned to explore new ways to help libraries and other
cultural heritage organizations manage their digital collections and make them
accessible worldwide.”
Greg Zick, founder
of DiMeMa and former Professor at the University of Washington, will be Vice
President of OCLC Digital Services, and will report to Phyllis B. Spies, Vice
President, OCLC Collection Management Services. The DiMeMa staff of 11 will
maintain its office in Seattle, Washington.
CONTENTdm was
developed while Dr. Zick and a team of programmers were conducting research into
optimal digital image database technologies in the Center for Information
Systems Optimization (CISO) at the University of Washington. At the time,
special collections of the University of Washington Libraries were stored in a
variety of forms and formats, and demand was building to provide flexible online
access to these resources. The Libraries began to use the CISO Lab software for
fast, full-featured access and management of the collections.
After extensive
field testing, the products resulting from these research and development
activities were made available to organizations outside the University. DiMeMa
Inc. was formed in 2001 to support the growing CONTENTdm user community and to
focus on accelerated research and product development.
“This acquisition
positions a company, originally a startup based on technology from the
University of Washington, to make an even greater impact in the field of digital
management software,” said Jim Severson, Vice Provost of UW TechTransfer, which
facilitates the commercialization of innovations arising from UW research. “The
fact that their office and staff will remain in Seattle is also a plus, so this
is a big win for everyone involved.”
“DiMeMa and OCLC
have worked very closely together for the past four years and we have enjoyed
tremendous success in moving libraries into the digital age,” said Dr. Zick.
“Together we will be able to reach more libraries and other organizations
interested in managing and exposing their unique content to the worldwide
information community.”
“OCLC currently has
several important initiatives under way to help libraries manage their digital
collections, including the Content Cooperative pilot project, the Digital
Archive with newly released Web Archives Workbench, participation in LOCKSS and
CLOCKSS and the OCLC/DLF Registry of Digital Masters,” said Ms. Spies. “OCLC
and its member libraries will benefit with the addition of the talented DiMeMa
staff, and the integration of CONTENTdm solutions with other
projects.”
The addition of
DiMeMa staff will also help the RLG-Programs division and OCLC Research in their
efforts to explore the applications of digitization in the library and museum
communities.
The newly-organized
Digital Services Division will integrate both OCLC and RLG digital services into
the OCLC portfolio. Digital Services staff, including the DiMeMa staff, will
collaborate closely with RLG-Programs staff on shared issues of curation,
preservation and presentation of digital resources. “RLG has a long tradition
of moving community-initiated activities into production,” said Jim Michalko,
Vice President, RLG-Programs Development. “We think the DiMeMa capabilities
will create opportunities for the collective creation of important digital
collections for scholars and students. Along with our Research colleagues, we
are pleased to have this strong collaborative context available to us as we
develop our agenda.”
CONTENTdm has
evolved into a powerful digital collection management solution that offers
scalable tools for archiving collections of any size. Today more than 300
libraries and other cultural heritage organizations license CONTENTdm software
to manage more than 2,500 digital collections.
Metadata for these
digital collections can be added to WorldCat, the world’s largest database of
items held in libraries. Once in WorldCat, these collection items can be found
by searching the database, or searching the Web. Items in WorldCat can now be
discovered through WorldCat.org, a new search site that also offers a
downloadable search box, and through popular search engines like Google and
Yahoo! as part of the OCLC Open WorldCat program.
To see some digital
collections managed with CONTENTdm software, visit: http://www.contentdm.com/customers/.
About
OCLC
Founded in 1967 and
headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, OCLC Online Computer Library Center is a
nonprofit organization that has provided computer-based cataloging, reference,
resource sharing, eContent and preservation services to 55,000 libraries in 110
countries and territories. OCLC and its member libraries worldwide have created
and maintain WorldCat, the world’s richest online resource for finding library
materials. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.
OCLC and WorldCat are trademarks and/or service
marks
of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
Third-party product, service and business names are
trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners.
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