Important Notice Concerning OCLC Billing Information

We would like to take this opportunity to update you on today's Amigos/OCLC partnership and to discuss important programs planned for FY2011-2012.

For nearly 40 years, Amigos and OCLC have been working together on your behalf to deliver leading-edge and personalized services. Our mutual goal has been and remains outstanding service and advancement through library collaboration. As library work evolves and as we continue to face budget challenges, so too, must our partnership evolve to accommodate new service models, more virtual services and expanded programming that remain cost-effective and relevant for our members.

The Amigos OCLC partnership 2011

In July 2009, Amigos and OCLC began developing a new partnership model that redefines how we will mutually deliver OCLC services in today's new technological and economic environment. Together, we are reshaping the development and delivery of consulting, education, training, ordering, implementation, support and billing services. We are focused on programming and services, and on finding ways to drive even more efficiency into our administrative activities. We have made notable progress toward this new model. The first step was to expand training and education services provided by Amigos, and to centralize OCLC ordering and support services across the U.S., consolidating activities and reducing costs.

Last month, we announced the second phase of this new partnership--the most significant new joint program that we have built in the last decade - creating innovative approaches to service in the new cloud-based technology environment. The Amigos team will provide member libraries with implementation support and education to use OCLC's newly released Web-scale Management Services, which we believe will deliver significant new value to libraries.

The last phase of this new partnership will begin July 2011. Just as we centralized and consolidated ordering and support services to OCLC in July 2009, we will transition OCLC billing services from Amigos to OCLC. Beginning with the 2011-2012 fiscal year, you will receive your OCLC billing directly from OCLC.

Consolidating and centralizing administrative services enables us to contain our costs and prices, while continuing to find new and innovative approaches to service delivery, training and support that best meet your needs. As part of this effort, last week OCLC announced flat pricing on services for the third consecutive year.

More information about the billing transition is provided below and much more information will be provided in the months ahead.

The transition of billing services

Effective July 1, 2011, your billing and account management for OCLC services will transition from Amigos to OCLC. If your library needs additional time to make this transition, please contact Becky Hurley, Director of Order Services at OCLC, at 1-800-848-5878, ext. 4316, or hurleyb@oclc.org; or contact Amigos at 1-800-843-8482, or support@amigos.org. We will be happy to work with you to meet your timing needs.

Amigos will continue to serve its members with a variety of services, including discounted pricing on the latest library products and services, continuing education courses spanning a variety of topics important to libraries, digital imaging and preservation services, courier and consulting for OCLC's services.

As this change from Amigos billing to direct OCLC billing for OCLC services occurs, the following information items may be helpful to you:

• Your library or group will automatically begin to receive OCLC invoices directly from OCLC in August 2011 for July 2011 activity.
• There is no OCLC membership fee for access to any OCLC services, including billing.
• OCLC offers an array of billing services, including a prompt payment discount and a Subscription Deposit Program that earns interest on deposits (currently 4% APR through June 30, 2011).

Neither OCLC nor Amigos requires you to take any action to effect this change in billing. However, your purchasing department may require administrative changes to transition your billing and/or deposit account to OCLC by June 30, 2011. We are committed to providing you with the support you need during this transition. Amigos and OCLC will provide further details in the coming months. You can also find more information about this transition on the Frequently Asked Questions Web page at www.oclc.org/info/transition/amigos/. As stated above, you may also contact Becky Hurley, Director of Order Services at OCLC, 1-800-848-5878, ext. 4316 (hurleyb@oclc.org), or contact Amigos at 1-800-843-8482 (support@amigos.org).

OCLC and Amigos are working together to ensure a smooth transition for your library. We will continue to share information about transition activities with you over the next few months. Thank you for your support as we make this change in billing, for your important contributions to the OCLC cooperative, and for your strong participation as an Amigos member.

Sincerely,

Cathy De Rosa
Vice President for the Americas
& Global Vice President of Marketing, OCLC

Bonnie Juergens
President and Chief Executive Officer, Amigos