OCLC, a nonprofit global library cooperative based out of Columbus, will sell its QuestionPoint software and transfer all active subscriptions to Springshare. Through this acquisition, the Miami developer of reference software will extend its LibAnswers virtual reference software to include the comprehensive QuestionPoint library reference cooperative with 24/7 coverage.
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
QuestionPoint’s team of reference librarians will become part of Springshare and will continue to work from their current locations around the world. QuestionPoint is the global industry leader in providing cooperative virtual reference services, including 24/7 reference backup coverage from its team of experienced reference librarians.
“This agreement brings together Springshare’s full-featured, state-of-the-art reference software and the unparalleled professional reference coverage from QuestionPoint’s 24/7 Reference Cooperative that libraries count on,” OCLC Business Development Vice President Chip Nilges said in a statement. "We’re confident that this move will result in the best possible virtual reference service for libraries."
Springshare has committed to further invest in enhancing the cooperative by hiring more co-op librarian staffers, providing additional training to the co-op librarians, and devising more effective workflows to share knowledge and information between co-op librarians and local administrators.
