OCLC, Inc. stands as a significant nonprofit cooperative organization based in the United States, dedicated to serving the global library community. Established in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, it later expanded its scope and became known as the Online Computer Library Center, before formally adopting the name OCLC, Inc. in 2017. Its core mission revolves around providing shared technology services, conducting original research, and fostering
community programs for its members and the broader library world. This cooperative model allows thousands of member libraries to collectively contribute to and benefit from its extensive resources and services.
The Foundation and Evolution of OCLC
The journey of OCLC began in 1967, initially focusing on the needs of college libraries in Ohio. This early incarnation, the Ohio College Library Center, laid the groundwork for what would become a much larger and more influential entity. As technology advanced and the needs of libraries evolved, the organization recognized the potential for broader impact. This led to its transformation into the Online Computer Library Center, reflecting its expanded reach and reliance on digital solutions. The formal name change to OCLC, Inc. in 2017 marked another milestone, simplifying its identity while retaining its core purpose.
This evolution underscores OCLC's adaptability and commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly changing information landscape. From its regional beginnings, it grew into an international cooperative, demonstrating how a shared vision and collaborative effort can lead to widespread benefits for a professional community. The organization's structure as a nonprofit cooperative ensures that its focus remains on service to libraries rather than profit generation, aligning with the public service ethos of libraries themselves.
Core Services and Global Reach
One of OCLC's most prominent contributions is WorldCat, which it cooperatively produces and maintains with its member libraries. WorldCat is recognized as the largest online public access catalog in the world, offering bibliographic, abstract, and full-text information to a vast audience. This extensive catalog includes holding records from both public and private libraries across the globe, making it an invaluable resource for researchers, students, and the general public seeking to locate books and other materials.
Beyond WorldCat, OCLC provides a diverse array of services. It is also responsible for maintaining the Dewey Decimal Classification system, a widely used library classification scheme. The organization's funding primarily comes from fees paid by libraries for these various services, amounting to approximately $217.8 million annually as of 2021. This financial model allows OCLC to continue its operations, research, and development, ensuring the ongoing provision of essential tools and support to libraries worldwide. The breadth of its services highlights its central role in the infrastructure of modern library operations.
Identifiers and Their Impact
OCLC's influence extends to the realm of bibliographic identifiers, particularly through the assignment of OCLC Control Numbers (OCNs). These OCNs serve as crucial identifiers for books and other bibliographic materials, especially those published before 1970 that may lack International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs). The utility of OCNs is further demonstrated by their adoption as identifiers within platforms like Wikipedia and Wikidata.
For instance, a report from October 2013 indicated the significant presence of OCNs in Wikipedia's book infoboxes, with 15,226 OCNs compared to 23,304 ISBNs among 29,673 instances. Similarly, within Wikidata, out of approximately 14 million items, 28,741 were books, and 12,262 of these had OCNs, surpassing the 5,403 items with ISBNs. This widespread use underscores the importance of OCNs in organizing and linking bibliographic data across major online information platforms, facilitating discovery and access to a vast array of knowledge resources.
