OCLC: From an Historical Perspective

The Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC) has had a major impact upon libraries. This article provides an overview of the history of that organization. The goals of OCLC--a nonprofit computer service and research organization whose network and services link more than 22,000 libraries in the United States and sixty-three countries and territories--are to further access to the world's information and reduce information costs. OCLC services help libraries locate, acquire, catalog, and lend library materials. At the heart of organization is the OCLC Online Union Catalog, which is the world's largest and most comprehensive bibliographic database. Established in 1967 and made available online in 1971, it was the first large, multi-participant, computerized, online union catalog system.