Clear

OCLC is member-led and member-driven. Members guide the development of our programs, policies, strategy and services. This year we realized several firsts, and reached new milestones, from member attendance levels at global meetings, to innovative approaches and collaboration.

An active, engaged community

More than 1,200 members attended a Regional Council meeting this past year—in Thailand, South Africa or the United States.

Members also engage with the cooperative through advisory committees, user groups and special task forces. These groups are vital to our cooperative; member communities directly inform our services, programs and decisions.

“As a worldwide cooperative, OCLC is very different from other organizations. The chance to share and cooperate with so many other libraries around the world helps us all move forward and grow together.”
Srichan Chancheewa, Director, University Libraries, Thammasat University, Thailand

Collaborating on a global scale

Art Discovery Group Catalogue

Sixty OCLC member libraries from art museums in 16 countries came together to build an art-focused research experience within WorldCat. The Art Discovery Group Catalogue is an efficient, complete and user-friendly resource that is meeting the needs of art historians all over the world.

Paving the way

University of Delaware

As the first ARL and the 200th library to go live with WorldShare Management Services (WMS), the University of Delaware Library and OCLC worked together as innovators and pioneers to develop the features and functionality required to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff at a larger research institution.

Slideshow: University of Delaware

“The University of Delaware Library is pleased to be at the forefront of this transition to cloud-based library management services for ARL libraries, and looks forward to working with OCLC to help guide its continued evolution.”
Susan Brynteson, Vice Provost and May Morris University Librarian, University of Delaware Library, USA

Our membership is global and growing

103 new members in 14 new countries in FY14

Map showing countries with new members

New member country

Existing member country

New countries represented: Bangladesh, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Guyana, Honduras, Luxembourg, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Panama

A diverse membership

Public Libraries

5,193

College and University Libraries

5,053

School Libraries

1,875

Federal, State and Municipal Government

1,621

Corporate and Business

1,159

Community College and Vocational

1,063

Foundations and Associations

633

State and National Libraries

111

Other

149

16,857 members in 113 countries

Member libraries have a voice through their elected representatives.

Three Regional Councils—Americas Regional Council, Asia Pacific Regional Council and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regional Council—energize local collaboration and support the regional needs, communications and discussions that matter most to members in their communities.

Americas

12,705 members
in 27 countries

EMEA

2,417 members
in 65 countries

Asia Pacific

1,735 members
in 21 countries

The fifth EMEA Regional Council meeting was held in Cape Town, the first OCLC EMEA meeting to take place in South Africa. Attendees included 267 librarians from 27 countries.

A record 340 librarians from 14 countries attended the Asia Pacific membership meeting in Thailand.

The Americas Regional Council meeting held at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas drew 400 in-person attendees and more than 250 virtual participants.

Dynamic leadership

New Global Council leaders

In FY14, each Regional Council elected member representatives to Global Council, which consists of 48 delegates and three officers. These 51 leaders represent the voices and perspectives of 19 countries.

Barbara Preece

Global Council President

Director, Loyola Notre Dame Library, USA

Anja Smit

Global Council Vice President/President-Elect

University Librarian, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

View the current Global Council directory

Newly elected Board members

In FY14, Global Council elected two new members to the OCLC Board of Trustees. Their terms begin in November 2014.

John Szabo

Trustee

City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library, USA

Ellen Tise