TLC Online Selection Assistant

The Library Corporation (TLC) debuted one of the most exciting products at Midwinter and certainly one that will make the hearts of acquisitions librarians beat faster. Called the Online Selection Assistant (OSA), the product is described by the company as a "vendor-neutral collection development and information management solution that automates the process of materials selection, purchasing, and accounting…."

OSA reflects the one-stop shopping Amazon approach. In announcing the product, TLC's Randy Kremer said that it takes a "superhuman effort" to pull together all the ordering information from the countless suppliers selling to libraries. OSA provides a single resource for buying a variety of goods from companies worldwide.

TLC has partnered with Baker & Taylor, BWI, and Crimson Multimedia—other deals are in the works—to include a plethora of products, from books to databases. Besides the ordering functions, the web-based OSA can access book and awards lists, articles, reviews, industry recommendations such as wholesaler top picks and publisher announcements, and also handles invoicing and accounting. In as few as three clicks, librarians can locate a wanted item, contact the seller, and place the order. The model, which other vendors certainly will emulate, looks to be a winner, for as TLC says, "When libraries win, we all win."