The university uses the OCLC Cataloging service to catalog incoming materials and contri butes its current cataloging to WorldCat. The University of S o Paulo Integrated Library System is widely recognized and well respected. The library community has been enriched by the unique information that USP has contributed to WorldCat. So information is flowing both ways. That kind of mutual benefit and cooperation is particularly attractive in Latin America.
Many libraries realize the advantages of coming together in a large network.
Institutions can collectively address the needs of users in a rapidly changing technological information environment. Training and education have also become important parts of this mutually beneficial arrangement. Training on OCLC services is now available at the University of S o Paulo. In 1997, a delegation from Brazil was the first group to participate in the OCLC Institute, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the evolution of libraries and information services by providing managers with opportunities for advanced education and knowledge exchange. OCLC has recognized the importance of expanding its services to meet the needs of its members worldwide.