What is OCLC?

What is OCLC?

• A. A nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs
• B. A University Library
• C. A For-Profit Corporation
• D. A Government Agency

Answer: (A)

OCLC is a cooperative built by libraries to work together using computer-based services. It is a nonprofit organization owned by its member libraries, created to expand access to information and reduce the costs of information through shared services and research. A key example of what it provides is WorldCat, a global catalog libraries use to organize and locate materials across libraries worldwide. This nonprofit, member-driven, library-service focus distinguishes it from other options. It isn’t a university library, which is a single institution serving its own campus; it isn’t a for-profit corporation, which aims to earn profits; and it isn’t a government agency.

OCLC is a cooperative built by libraries to work together using computer-based services. It is a nonprofit organization owned by its member libraries, created to expand access to information and reduce the costs of information through shared services and research. A key example of what it provides is WorldCat, a global catalog libraries use to organize and locate materials across libraries worldwide. This nonprofit, member-driven, library-service focus distinguishes it from other options. It isn’t a university library, which is a single institution serving its own campus; it isn’t a for-profit corporation, which aims to earn profits; and it isn’t a government agency.