Membership and Members Council

Membership brings together institutions of all sizes with a common goal: to improve access to the world's information. It's a global mission that touches librarians individually.

There’s much more to OCLC than world-class library products and services. When an institution becomes a member of OCLC, it joins a unique international community.

Real benefits when you need them most

Libraries that take full advantage of OCLC membership and services save money, increase efficiency and support the future of librarianship. Among the benefits of membership:

• Build and use WorldCat
  Share the world's largest union catalog. More than 1 billion pieces of information about who holds what and where
• Reduce costs
  Receive discounts on OCLC products and services
• Access deeper resources
  Gain access to rare and highly valued materials
• Tap 35 years of expertise
  Benefit from dedicated research and access best practices
• Influence the future
  Shape and guide not just OCLC, but the profession of library and information science
• Maximize your collections
  Make your collections available to the world through cataloging, resource sharing, reference and beyond

Learn more about the benefits of membership.

Sharing is the key

“Contribution” is an important concept at OCLC. Membership status is based on the intellectual resources contributed to the cooperative. Whether a library shares cataloging records, reference expertise or digital collections—no matter the type, size or location of the institution—contribution is a meaningful activity that benefits everyone. Learn more about contribution, and how it determines a library's level of participation.

Get involved and make a difference

OCLC also provides many opportunities to personally shape the future of librarianship, and participate directly in the guidance of OCLC. Advisory Committees and User Groups allow members to influence development and refinement of products and services, research and other critical activities. And those elected to the OCLC Members Council represent members and participants around the world and work directly with OCLC executive leadership.