OCLC History and Background
- OCLC was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center.
- It was created through a collaboration of university presidents, vice presidents, and library directors.
- The organization's first executive director was Frederick G. Kilgour.
- The shared cataloging system was proposed by Kilgour and Ralph H. Parker.
- The first library to do online cataloging through OCLC was the Alden Library at Ohio University.
- OCLC is a worldwide library cooperative.
- OCLC has a personalized prehistory.
- OCLC is mentioned in the Encyclopedia of library and information sciences.
- The OCLC Network of Regional Service Providers has been active for the last 10 years.
OCLC Services and Products
- OCLC provides bibliographic, abstract, and full-text information.
- It maintains WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog in the world.
- WorldCat has holding records from libraries worldwide.
- OCLC acquired the trademark and copyrights associated with the Dewey Decimal Classification System.
- OCLC owned a preservation microfilm and digitization operation called the OCLC Preservation Service Center.
- OCLC commercially sells software such as CONTENTdm for managing digital collections.
- Wise is an integrated library system and community engagement system.
- WorldCat Discovery is a bibliographic discovery system.
- WorldShare Management Services is an electronic resource management system.
- OCLC also offers QuestionPoint, an around-the-clock reference service.
OCLC Initiatives and Partnerships
- OCLC is involved in advocacy efforts.
- OCLC collaborates with Wikimedia and libraries.
- WebJunction is a project supported by OCLC.
- OCLC provides training curriculum and support materials.
- OCLC Control Numbers are in the public domain and used for identification purposes.
OCLC Acquisitions and Mergers
- OCLC acquired NetLibrary, a provider of electronic books and textbooks, in 2002.
- OCLC sold NetLibrary to EBSCO Industries in 2010.
- OCLC owns OCLC PICA, a library automation systems and services company headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands.
- OCLC merged with the Research Libraries Group (RLG) in July 2006.
- OCLC acquired EZproxy and OAIster to enhance its services.
- OCLC acquires EZproxy authentication and access software (January 11, 2008).
- OCLC acquires Dutch library systems provider HKA (October 2, 2013).
- OCLC acquires the Dutch ILS provider HKA (November 2013).
- OCLC acquires Sustainable Collection Services (January 13, 2015).
- OCLC agrees to acquire Relais International to provide library consortia more options for resource sharing (January 17, 2017).
- RLG to combine with OCLC (May 3, 2006).
- CLC/OCLC Pica Merge (October 30, 2007).
- OCLC and RLG combine for the future (October 2006).
OCLC Policies and Changes
- OCLC faced criticism for monopolistic practices and other faults.
- Library blogger Rick Mason acknowledged some valid criticisms but cautioned against hyperbole and personal attacks.
- OCLC's policy requiring member libraries to include an OCLC note on bibliographic records caused uproar among librarian bloggers.
- Activist Aaron Swartz protested the policy, fearing it would threaten projects like the Open Library, Zotero, and Wikipedia.
- OCLC retracted the policy and established a Review Board for more transparent consultation with member libraries.
- OCLC Policy Change (2008-2010).
- OCLC changes its rules for use of records in WorldCat (January 2012).
- Stop the OCLC powergrab! (February 18, 2009).
- Stealing Your Library: The OCLC Powergrab (June 4, 2011).
- Library catalog metadata: Open licensing or public domain? (August 14, 2012).
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, then became the Online Computer Library Center as it expanded. In 2017, the name was formally changed to OCLC, Inc. OCLC and thousands of its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog in the world. OCLC is funded mainly by the fees that libraries pay (around $217.8 million annually in total as of 2021[update]) for the many different services it offers. OCLC also maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
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 OCLC headquarters | |
| Founded | July 5, 1967 (as Ohio College Library Center) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Fred Kilgour |
| Type | 501(c)3 organization |
| 31-0734115 | |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ohio, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°06′09″N 83°07′37″W / 40.1025°N 83.1269°W |
Region | Worldwide |
| Products |
|
Members | 30,000+ libraries in 100+ countries |
President & CEO | Skip Prichard |
Revenue (2020–21) | $217.8 million |
| Website | www |
