OCLC initiatives include the publishing of in-depth studies and topical surveys that let you understand issues and trends that affect librarianship and help you plan for the future.
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OCLC was awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore attitudes and perceptions about library funding and to evaluate the potential of a large-scale marketing and advocacy campaign to increase public library funding. The findings of this research are now available in the latest OCLC report, From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America. Though this study was based on data from the United States, there are findings in the report that could be applicable to any library seeking to understand the connections between public perceptions and library support. |
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Now available! This OCLC membership report summarizes the findings of an international study on online social spaces, including social networking attitudes and habits of both end users and librarians. This international study on social networking, privacy and trust opinions surveyed the general public in six countries—Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States—and library directors from the U.S.
Social networking was also discussed at the OCLC Symposium “Who’s Watching YOUR Space?” at ALA Midwinter 2007, while property law and privacy rights were discussed at the OCLC Symposium: “Is the Library Open?” at ALA Annual 2007. |
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A subset of the December 2005 OCLC Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources report, the 396 college students who participated in the survey range in age from 15 to 57 and are either undergraduate or graduate students. The college students were from all of the six countries included in the survey. Responses from U.S. 14- to 17-year-old participants have also been included to provide contrast and comparison with the college students, as these young people are potential college attendees of the future. |
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This report to the OCLC membership summarizes findings of an international study on information-seeking habits and preferences. The study was conducted to help us learn more about: library use; awareness and use of library electronic resources and Internet search engines; use of free vs. for-fee information; and the "Library" brand. |
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This update to the 2003 Five-Year Information Format Trends report (below) examines the "unbundling" of content from traditional containers and distribution methods, making information formats secondary to the information they hold. |
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The Scan, acclaimed in the library community, is a comprehensive high-level view of the current information landscape and the significant issues and trends facing libraries and other public-serving institutions. |
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In this snapshot of the economic impact of libraries, facts and figures compare their value as an economic engine, destination, logistics and information provider, and employer. |
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Read this snapshot of format trends for popular, scholarly, digital and Web resources that are reshaping how information in distributed and consumed. |
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