OCLC: Changing the Tasks of Librarianship

Abstract

OCLC has grown since 1971 from 54 libraries to 17,000 libraries, from the state of Ohio to 47 countries around the world, and from revenues of $67,000 to almost $100 million. In addition to cataloging, OCLC now provides a broad range of products and services in resource sharing, reference, and electronic publishing. The Forest Press Division of OCLC publishes the Dewey Decimal Classification, the world's most widely used library classification system. OCLC also operates MAPS, The MicrogrAphic Preservation Service, a nonprofit corporation based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that provides high‐quality preservation microfilming for libraries. Information Dimensions, Inc., a for‐profit subsidiary acquired in April 1993, develops and markets computer software products for managing electronic documents and text on leading mainframe computers, microcomputers, workstations, and PCs. IDI provides an exciting strategic fit for OCLC in full‐text electronic publishing, electronic archiving, and information management—three areas of growing importance in OCLC's future.

Citation

Wayne Smith, K. (1993), "OCLC: Changing the Tasks of Librarianship", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 7-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047891