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Participation Levels

OCLC welcomes information organizations around the world to be a part of our unique cooperative. These participation levels are available to libraries, museums, archives, historical societies and professional associations.

Governing Members

Governing Members contribute all current cataloging and holdings to WorldCat (as described in the OCLC WorldCat Principles of Cooperation). These contributions are what make WorldCat such a valuable resource for users around the world. Governing members receive service credits from OCLC for their contributions to WorldCat. They also elect representatives to OCLC Members Council, which in turn elects six members of the OCLC Board of Trustees.

Members

Members embrace the OCLC value of collaboration by contributing intellectual content and by sharing resources. While they do not contribute all of their current cataloging to WorldCat, they do contribute to other cooperative products or services provided by OCLC and its affiliates.

Participants

Participants contract to use OCLC products and services without any obligation to return any intellectual content to the cooperative. While participants do not have a direct vote in the affairs of the cooperative, they are encouraged to provide input to their regional service provider and Member Council delegates.

Level Activity required Eligible to be Members Council delegate? Vote in Members Council elections?
Governing Members Contribute all current cataloging to WorldCat Yes Yes
Members Contribute to cooperative products and services Yes No
Participants Use OCLC products and services with no obligation to contribute to the cooperative No No

What is contribution?

Contribution to the cooperative is the basis of member or participant status. The following activities are considered contribution:

  1. Adding records content, and holdings, regardless of format or platform of entry
    • Original cataloging
    • Adding local holdings information
    • Union listing
    • Materials submitted for archiving and made available to all members and participants of the cooperative
  2. Maintaining records and holdings regardless of platform of entry
    • Enhance program
    • Database enrichment
    • Minimal level upgrades
    • Deletion of holdings information
  3. Resource sharing (interlibrary loans provided)
  4. Contribution of authority files or thesauri

A standing joint committee on membership regularly reviews what should and should not be included as contribution. This committee reports annually to the Board of Trustees and Members Council.