Which statement describes OCLC’s mission?

Which statement describes OCLC’s mission?

• 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 Private Corporation Selling Library Software
• C. A National Library of Canada
• D. A Printing Service for Library Catalogs

Answer: (A)

OCLC’s mission centers on making information accessible and affordable. The statement describes it as a nonprofit, membership-based, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs. That perfectly matches what OCLC does: a library cooperative owned by member libraries that provides shared cataloging data, metadata standards, and services (like WorldCat and interlibrary loan) to help libraries and users find and use information more efficiently and at lower cost. The other options—being a private corporation selling software, a national library of Canada, or a printing service for catalogs—don’t reflect OCLC’s nonprofit cooperative status or its global, inclusive mission.

OCLC’s mission centers on making information accessible and affordable. The statement describes it as a nonprofit, membership-based, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs. That perfectly matches what OCLC does: a library cooperative owned by member libraries that provides shared cataloging data, metadata standards, and services (like WorldCat and interlibrary loan) to help libraries and users find and use information more efficiently and at lower cost. The other options—being a private corporation selling software, a national library of Canada, or a printing service for catalogs—don’t reflect OCLC’s nonprofit cooperative status or its global, inclusive mission.