The invisible backbone of the world's shared library data
In short: Before the internet made information instantly accessible, a small group of Ohio librarians envisioned a way to merge the world's oldest institution—the library—with the newest: the computer. Their goal was to create a cooperative network that would streamline research and slash costs for every scholar on earth.
Founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, OCLC began as a collaborative effort between university leaders to create a computerized network for libraries in Ohio. The vision, proposed in 1965 by Frederick G. Kilgour and Ralph H. Parker, was to merge information storage with modern computing. On 26 August 1971, Ohio University's Alden Library became the inaugural global site to execute online cataloging via this project.
Today, OCLC is a global nonprofit cooperative that maintains WorldCat, the world's largest online public access catalog. It provides bibliographic data to the public and manages the Dewey Decimal Classification system. While it serves a massive global audience, its operations are funded primarily by member library fees, totaling approximately $217.8 million in 2021. The organization has evolved from a regional Ohio project into a global entity, expanding its membership to include any institution with a qualifying product subscription in 2022.
OCLC plays a critical role in the 'linked data' ecosystem. It assigns unique OCLC Control Numbers (OCNs) to bibliographic records, which serve as essential identifiers for books published before 1970 that lack ISBNs. These numbers are frequently used by platforms like Wikipedia and Wikidata to link data. Additionally, the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) is administered by OCLC to provide uniform identifiers for worldwide organisations.
Despite its influence, OCLC faces significant competition in the library automation market. By 2019, it held only a 10% market share for academic and public libraries in the U.S., while its rival, ExLibris, held over 70% and 50% respectively. This shift highlights a complex landscape where OCLC remains a dominant data curator and standard-setter even as other companies lead in specific software services.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: OCLC
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