Hanging Together - the OCLC Research blog

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Higher Education Future / Library Futures

Listening to library leaders: Surveys capture real-time perspectives shaping decisions across the field

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026 - by Constance Malpas - Leave a Comment

Funding and resourcing, technology, staffing, community needs and expectations—the pace of change library leaders now need to navigate and lead their organizations through is nothing short of breathtaking. Trends that …

Scaling research support at Monash University Library

January 9, 2026January 13, 2026 - by Brian Lavoie - Leave a Comment

Learn from efforts at Monash University Library to reimagine operational structures and service models to scale research support and better align with institutional needs.

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Archives and Special Collections / Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Research Library Partnership

Building effective workflows for oral history projects: Collaboration, structure, and AI innovation

November 6, 2025December 4, 2025 - by Merrilee Proffitt

How can libraries develop effective oral history workflows? University of Washington and Montana State University share insights on developing partnerships, and integrating integrating human expertise with emerging technologies to created and preserve cultural narratives,

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Metadata

Werewolves in WorldCat

October 31, 2025January 21, 2026 - by Kate James - 2 Comments.

If you enjoy a good werewolf story, read on for a description of some resources that will leave you howling for more—all available in WorldCat, of course!

Collaboration / Collective Collections

Autonomy to alliance: Unpacking the motivations for library partnership

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 - by Brian Lavoie

Why collaborate? Here’s some evidence on why libraries band together to steward their collective print book collection.

A colorful visualization of interconnected data points and glowing nodes against a background of bibliographic text in various colors, including orange, yellow, and white. The text includes references to metadata and cataloging terms, symbolizing the integration of AI in cataloging workflows.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Metadata / Research Library Partnership

Striking the right balance: Opportunities and challenges of AI in metadata workflows

October 20, 2025December 9, 2025 - by Rebecca Bryant

AI can enhance metadata work—but only with care. Learn how libraries can balance innovation with quality and ethical practice.

A vibrant visualization featuring interconnected glowing nodes and lines overlaid on a background of text strings, including URLs and references to "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee" in multiple languages and scripts. The design symbolizes data networks, global collaboration, and metadata integration.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Metadata / Research Library Partnership / Research support

Examining the role of AI in institutional repository workflows

October 16, 2025October 16, 2025 - by Brian Lavoie

Can AI help to manage institutional repository metadata? From improving deposit workflows to cleaning up legacy data, explore how AI might support IRs while keeping human expertise front and center.

A vibrant digital illustration featuring the name "Mary Shelley" repeated in various languages and scripts, overlaid on a glowing network of interconnected nodes and lines. The colorful nodes emit light in hues of yellow, pink, green, and blue, symbolizing data connections and metadata integration.

Archives and Special Collections / Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Metadata / Research Library Partnership

Exploring AI uses in archives and special collections: Integration, entities, and addressing need

October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 - by Kate James

Learn how archives and special collections are exploring using AI responsibly to meet accessibility requirements and improve access to unique resources.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Metadata / Research Library Partnership

Backlogs and beyond: AI in primary cataloging workflows

October 9, 2025October 9, 2025 - by Merrilee Proffitt - 1 Comment

Facing cataloging backlogs, legacy metadata issues, and language challenges, libraries are exploring how AI may offer practical support—while keeping human expertise central.

An open cardboard box containing three books standing upright, each with a solid-colored cover: magenta, teal, and navy blue. The books are neatly arranged, with their white pages slightly visible, suggesting organization or packing for storage or transport.

Research Library Partnership / Resource Sharing / SHARES

Rising to the challenge: How the SHARES resource sharing community navigated a global disruption to international shipping

September 15, 2025October 4, 2025 - by Dennis Massie - 1 Comment

When international ILL shipping faced an unprecedented disruption, the OCLC RLP SHARES community turned confusion into collaboration, crafting creative solutions to keep library materials moving across borders.