OCLC , currently incorporated as OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Incorporated , is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "dedicated to the public purpose of expanding access to world information and reducing information costs". Founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center . OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world's largest online public access catalog (OPAC) in the world. OCLC is funded primarily by the fees that the library pays for its services (about $ 200 million per year by 2016). OCLC also maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
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History
OCLC began in 1967, as the Ohio College Library Center, through the collaboration of Ohio university presidents, vice presidents, and library directors who wanted to create a cooperative, computerized network for the Ohio library. The group first met on July 5, 1967 at the Ohio State University campus to sign a merger article for a nonprofit organization. The group hired Frederick G. Kilgour, a former librarian of the Yale University medical school, to design a joint catalog system. Kilgour wants to combine the latest information storage and retrieval system, the computer, with the oldest, the library. The plan is to merge Ohio library catalog electronically through computer networks and databases to streamline operations, control costs, and improve efficiency in library management. The purpose of these networks and databases is to bring libraries together to cooperatively track world information to serve the best researchers and scholars. The first library to catalog online via OCLC was the Alden Library at Ohio University on August 26, 1971. This was the first online catalog appearance by any library worldwide.
Membership in OCLC is based on the use of data services and contributions. Between 1967 and 1977, OCLC membership was limited to institutions in Ohio, but in 1978, a new government structure was established that allowed agencies from other countries to join. In 2002, government structures were re-modified to accommodate participation from outside the United States.
When OCLC expanded its services in the United States outside Ohio, it relied on establishing strategic partnerships with "networks," organizations that provide training, support and marketing services. In 2008, there were 15 independent US regional service providers. The OCLC network plays a key role in OCLC governance, with networks that choose delegates to serve on the OCLC Member Board. During 2008, OCLC commissioned two studies to look at distribution channels; at the same time, the OCLC Member Board approves the governance changes that the Supervisory Board has recommended that disconnect the network and government. In early 2009, OCLC negotiated a new contract with the previous network and opened a centralized support center.
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Services
OCLC provides bibliographic, abstract and full text information to anyone.
OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat - the OCLC Online Union Catalog, the world's largest online public access catalog (OPAC) in the world. WorldCat has kept records from public and private libraries around the world. The Open WorldCat program, launched in late 2003, exposes some of WorldCat's data to Web users through search sites, bibliography, and sales of popular Internet books; Open WorldCat then changed to WorldCat.org. In October 2005, OCLC technical staff initiated a wiki project, WikiD, which allowed readers to add structured field comments and information related to any WorldCat records. WikiD is then deleted.
The Center for Online Computer Library acquired trademarks and copyrights associated with Dewey Decimal Classification System when purchasing Forest Press in 1988. A browser for books with their Dewey Decimal Classification is available until July 2013; it is replaced by Classification Service.
Until August 2009, when it was sold to Backstage Library Works, OCLC has a preservation microfilm and a digitalization operation called the OCLC Preservation Service Center, with its main office in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
The QuestionPoint reference management service provides libraries with tools to communicate with users. This 24-hour reference service is provided by cooperatives from participating global libraries.
OCLC has produced catalog cards for members since 1971 with a joint online catalog; the company printed its last catalog card on October 1, 2015.
Software
OCLC sells commercial software, for example, CONTENTdm for managing digital collections.
Research
OCLC has been conducting research for the library community for over 30 years. In accordance with its mission, OCLC makes the results of its research known through various publications. This publication, including journal articles, reports, newsletters, and presentations, is available through the organization's website.
- OCLC Publications - Research articles from various journals including Code4Lib Journal, OCLC Research, References & amp; User Service, Quarterly, College & amp; The News Research Library, the Journal of the Art Library, and the Bulletin of the National Education Association. The latest publications are shown first, and all archived resources, beginning in 1970, are also available.
- Membership Report - A number of important reports on topics ranging from virtual references in libraries to perceptions of library funding.
- Bulletins - Current and archived bulletins for library and archive communities.
- Presentation - Presentation of OCLC guest speakers and research from conferences, webcasts, and other events. Presentations are organized into five categories: Presentation conferences, Dewey presentations, Distinguished Seminar Series, Guest presentations, and Research staff presentations.
Advocacy
Advocacy has been part of OCLC's mission since its inception in 1967. OCLC staff members meet and work regularly with library leaders, information professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, political leaders, trustees, students and customers to advocate "research, scholarship, education, community development, access to information, and global cooperation. "
WebJunction is a division of OCLC funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which provides training services for librarians.
OCLC's advocacy campaign "Geek the Library," started in 2009, highlights the role of public libraries. Campaign, funded by a grant from Bill & amp; The Melinda Gates Foundation, using a strategy based on the findings of the 2008 OCLC report, "From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America."
Other past advocacy campaigns focused on sharing knowledge gained from library research and information. These projects have included communities such as the Society of American Archivists, the Open Archives Initiative, the Museum Institute and Library Services, the International Organization for Standardization, the National Information Standards Organization, the World Wide Web Consortium, the Internet Engineering Task Force, and Internet2. One of the most successful contributions to this effort is the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, "an open forum of libraries, archives, museums, technology organizations, and software companies working together to develop interoperable online metadata standards that support various business objectives and models.
OCLC partnered with search engine providers in 2003 to advocate libraries and share information across the widest possible Internet landscape. Google, Yahoo !, and Ask.com have collaborated with OCLC to make WorldCat records searchable through search engines.
Online database: WorldCat
The WorldCat OCLC database is used by librarians to catalog and research. Contributions to WorldCat were made through the Connexion computer program, which was introduced in 2001; its predecessor, OCLC Passport, was removed in May 2005.
WorldCat contains records in MAchine Readable Cataloging (MARC) format donated by library librarians worldwide using OCLC as a cataloging tool, and MARC format recordings can also be downloaded to other library local catalog systems. This allows libraries to find and download records for material they add to their local catalogs, without having to undergo a lengthy process to create new catalog entries from scratch for each new item.
As of December 2017, WorldCat contains over 400 million bibliographic records in 491 languages, representing over 2.6 billion physical and digital library assets, and WorldCat data collection (mined from WorldCat) covering over 100 million people.
WorldCat is publicly available to search through a subscription-based web service called FirstSearch, as well as through WorldCat.org that is publicly available.
Identifiers and linked data
OCLC provides a unique control number (referred to as "OCN" for "OCLC Control Number") to any new bibliographic note in WorldCat. The numbers are assigned serially, and by mid 2013 more than one billion OCNs have been created. In September 2013, the OCLC stated these figures are in the public domain, removing perceived barriers to OCN use extensively outside of OCLC itself. The control number links the WorldCat records with the records of the local library system by providing common reference keys for recordings throughout the library.
OCN is very useful as an identifier for books and other bibliographic materials that do not have an ISBN (eg, books published before 1970). OCN is used as a frequent identifier on Wikipedia and Wikidata. In October 2013, it was reported that of 29,673 instances of Infobox Books on Wikipedia, "there are 23,304 ISBNs and 15,226 OCNs"; and about Wikidata: "about 14 million items Wikidata, 28,741 are books 5403 items Wikidata have ISBNs associated with them, and 12,262 have OCN."
OCLC also runs the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), an international name authority file. VIAF numbers are widely used as standard idenfitiers.
Company acquisition
OCLC acquired NetLibrary, a provider of electronic books and textbooks in 2002 and sold it in 2010 to EBSCO Industries. OCLC owns 100% of OCLC PICA shares, library automation systems and service companies headquartered in Leiden in the Netherlands and renamed "OCLC" by the end of 2007. In July 2006, the Research Library Group (RLG) combined with OCLC. On January 11, 2008, OCLC announced that it had purchased the EZproxy. It has also acquired OAIster. The process began in January 2009 and from October 31, 2009, OAIster records are available for free through WorldCat.org. In January 2015, OCLC acquired Sustainable Collection Services (SCS). SCS offers consultancy services based on library data collection of library collections to help libraries manage and share materials. In 2017, OCLC acquired Relais International, a provider of inter-library lending services based in Ottawa, Canada.
Criticism
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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