For chronological events, click here.

In 2003, Backstage Library Works was formed from MARC Link and Access Imagery, two service-minded predecessor companies.

Going back farther, to 1998, MARC Link was formed when epixtech (then called Ameritech Library Services) decided to outsource retrospective conversion projects being worked on by its Retro Link division, which had been in operation since 1986. Retro Link employees moved to MARC Link and were instrumental in its success, expanding to provide conversion services all over the world.

Why has our business grown while others are shrinking or leaving the business altogether? Three key elements give us an advantage in this very competitive industry: exceptional people, quality control and cutting-edge technology.

An All-Star Cast
Our staff is well educated and very experienced in providing retrospective conversion services. Over 35% of our employees are fluent in a second language. Our Chinese/Japanese/Korean teams are staffed with native speakers. Our Hebrew & Arabic speakers come from excellent scholastic programs. For newcomers we have excellent, detailed training programs. Employment standards and conditions are such that we hire fewer than 10 of every 100 applicants for open positions.

Polished Performance
Quality is the foundation of our production system. Every day each operator's production is statistically sampled. Errors are categorized by type and results are immediately posted. The operator and his or her supervisor address any problems. Every project is sampled at the daily, weekly, and final production stage. Because we guarantee the quality of our records, in the rare event that any problems are discovered at any time, we rework the data until the library is satisfied. (Notice the brave combination: our guarantee, but the client's standard of satisfaction.)

Cutting Edge Technology
Our custom-written conversion software has been refined over 14 years to provide every tool imaginable to help our operators accurately search local and remote databases and convert library catalog materials. Our imaging technology is unique - every card is scanned, then linked in production to its respective MARC record. We don't risk loss or damage by handling cards in production. Imaging greatly facilitates quality control. Each record selected for review automatically displays its linked source document, which makes comparison and quality checking much faster.

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Chronologically... 1987-1990 | 1991-1999 | 2000-2003

1987-1990

• The company started in 1987 as a complement to Dynix, a developer of library automation systems. Most of Dynix’ sales were to mostly non-automated libraries, and the libraries would ask how to get their cards converted into electronic MARC records for use on the Dynix systems. This service is called retrospective conversion, or retrocon or recon in the library world. The most prolific Dynix sales rep, Arthur Brady, had his sister Louise Stewart and later his brother Luther Brady incorporated and managed Retro Link Associates (RLA).

• RLA experienced various starts and stops over the next five years when they sold a project, they hired folks; in the interims, they laid off. The company survived on repeated cash infusions from Dynix. RLA started out using third-party production software and then over time developed their own in-house tools. This led to a solid competitive productivity advantage over competition.

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1991-1999

• In April 1991 Dynix was sold to Ameritech (the Chicago baby Bell.) By virtue of Dynix’ investments in RLA, RLA was included in the deal as a division of Dynix under Ameritech.

• By 1996 RLA was using advanced internally developed software taking advantage of scanning technology. A library’s shelf list (card catalog) could be scanned on site, and the conversion work done at the RLA offices. In production all cards were scanned and all images linked to new MARC records. This scanning and linking greatly improved quality control functions and accuracy.

Also by this time the recon market was passing the crest of conversion work. From a peak of $6 million revenue in the early 1990’s revenue fell to $4 million in 1997. More and more libraries had completed their initial conversions. Recon providers began leaving the market. The market was gradually changing as projects tended to be more complex, involving academic collections, foreign languages including non-Latin scripts, searching various remote databases, and so on.

In late 1996, as a result of over-enthusiasm, Dynix faced substantial financial losses and had a large lay-off. During this time period Ameritech began enforcing standards inapplicable to RLA – for example, requiring all employees of Dynix (including the then mostly part-time RLA staff) to generate a specific revenue per headcount. In a sadly ironic side note, this eventually lead to Dynix counting RLA employees as 3/5 of a regular employee. (For those who miss the association, that’s how the Southern states were allowed to count slaves for population purposes in the original US Constitution.) Because of this pressure from its corporate parent, Dynix management began talking about divesting itself of RLA.

The changes in the market combined with internal reorganizations and the feeling that RLA was on its way out considerably depressed RLA’s sales.

• In late 1997 and the first half of 1998 Dynix accelerated its efforts to get rid of RLA. In June 1998 Dynix contracted with John Merrill, the RLA general manager, to provide recon services to existing Dynix recon clients on an outsource basis.

• In July 1998 John formed MARC Link Corporation to provide recon services to most of RLA’s remaining clients. MARC Link immediately began marketing on its own and established itself as a qualified service provider.

Since then MARC Link has provided services for over 200 libraries all over the world, including such notables as The Huntington Library (California), The American Antiquarian Society (Massachusetts), Cambridge University (England), the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), ARGOS (Greece), and Stanford University Far Eastern languages (California).

In 1999 MARC Link purchased the remaining assets of RLA and hired most remaining employees. In 2001 MARC Link purchased assets of Saztech Europe, a recon provider in Scotland.

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2000-2003

• Beginning in the mid-90’s RLA and then MARC Link began expanding its scanning capabilities to library materials beyond just catalog materials. The company worked with photo prints and negatives, slides, lithographs, newspapers, books, and electronic text conversion. In 2001 the company formed a division called Access Imagery to fully develop its expertise in the scanning area. In 2003 the division was "mainstreamed" into the MARC Link family.

• In late 2003, recognizing the broadening range of services offered, and to better reflect the company’s real purpose and mission, the company’s name was changed to Backstage Library Works, and now encompasses the services provided by both MARCLink and Access Imagery.

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