Led by librarians on behalf of libraries

OCLC operates under principles and systems of shared governance across several groups: Global and Regional Councils, the Board of Trustees, and the OCLC Executive Management Team.

Our members guide the development of OCLC's programs, policies, strategy and services. That responsibility is reflected in our leadership structure.

"As a librarian who has engaged with OCLC throughout my career, I'm incredibly proud to serve as Board Chair and prouder still of the strong and lasting cooperative our members have built. I believe libraries and archives around the world are immensely fortunate to have an organization that believes in and shares their mission of service."

John F. Szabo
OCLC Board Chair
City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library

Global and Regional Councils

Members from around the globe are grouped by three Regional Councils—Americas (ARC); Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEARC); and Asia Pacific (APRC). Each region determines its own leadership structure and programs and priorities and facilitates communication at the local level. Regional Councils elect representatives to serve on the OCLC Global Council. There are 51 Global Council delegates who elevate members’ interests and opportunities to OCLC’s leadership team and the Board of Trustees. Global Council delegates are also responsible for electing six members to the OCLC Board of Trustees.

Man speaking at Regional Council meeting

“OCLC provides cutting edge technology and innovation that supports libraries around the globe which is only made possible from the input of its members. We are your elected ARC delegates, and we are here to listen and reflect the needs of all libraries in the Americas. Our collective values and experiences help make OCLC an even more valuable organization for libraries around the globe.”

Hong Yao
Chair, Americas Regional Council
Director, Technical Services, Queens Public Library

“The member institutions of OCLC serve a wide variety of different audiences but share a common purpose in their dedication to meet the needs of their local communities. We rely on OCLC resources and services as we continue to preserve and protect our regional history and culture.”

Muh-Chyun Tang
Chair, Asia Pacific Regional Council
Associate University Librarian, National Taiwan University

“Libraries today are in a uniquely powerful position to make a positive impact on the important issues and challenges we face around the world. When we join our voices, libraries become a source of strength; by combining our efforts, we can all contribute to fortifying our communities and building a better world to share.”

Evi Tramantza
Chair, EMEA Regional Council
Director of Libraries and Archives, Anatolia College

Board of Trustees

The 15-member Board of Trustees approaches its responsibilities in a unique way—it answers to and represents members, not shareholders or venture capitalists. The Board guides the vision of the cooperative, shaping OCLC’s strategy and goals. It also fulfills the fiduciary duty of protecting OCLC’s shared assets and investments. In addition, the Board is responsible for recruiting and working with the OCLC President and CEO, and for monitoring the cooperative through a dedicated audit process. The Board meets four times a year and its work is done by seven committees:

Committee	Description
Audit Committee	Together with the Board and executive management, the Audit Committee evaluates the performance of independent auditors, reviews auditors' plans and processes, and reviews audited financial statements. This committee also oversees risk assessment and mitigation plans.
Board Governance Committee	Assists in maintaining continuity of Board membership and managing the internal affairs and self evaluation of the Board. The Committee also assists with other duties assigned to it by the Board.
Executive Committee	The chairs of each committee, the Board Chair and the President and CEO coordinate the work across the Board committees. The Executive Committee exercises the authority of the Board in the management of the affairs of the corporation when the board is not in session.
Finance and Investment Committee	Responsible for the oversight of the financial health of OCLC. The Finance Committee reviews interim and annual financial results and the annual budget plan, the approval of loans, capital expenditures, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and special expenditures. This committee also reviews long-term investment policy and banking resolutions and recommends action by the Board.
Membership Committee	Reviews and updates membership and governance protocols, which determine how membership is defined. The committee is comprised of both Board members and Global Council members, and contributes to the formation and constitution of the Global Council.
Personnel and Compensation Committee	Provides oversight review of compensation and benefits for the employees of the corporation. This committee evaluates and reports to the Board of Trustees on matters concerning management performance, employee compensation and personnel policies, management development and continuity plans, and approves (but does not administer or manage) employee compensation and benefit programs.
Committee on Technology Planning	Evaluates and reports to the Board on appropriate matters related to technology, including OCLC's engagement with emerging technologies that appear well-suited to helping libraries better serve their user communities.

Trustees listen carefully to members in order to better understand and address the issues affecting libraries in today’s changing environment. See the minutes of past Board meetings.

OCLC Board of Trustees

John F. Szabo

Chair, OCLC Board of Trustees

City Librarian
Los Angeles Public Library

Cindy Hilsheimer

Vice Chair, OCLC Board of Trustees

Managing Principal
BeecherHill

Theresa S. Byrd

Dean of the University Library
University of San Diego

Brady J. Deaton

Chancellor Emeritus
University of Missouri

Bernadette Gray-Little

Chancellor Emerita
University of Kansas

Barbara Lison

Director
Bremen Public Library

Pilar Martinez

Chief Executive Officer
Edmonton Public Library

Skip Prichard

President and Chief Executive Officer
OCLC

Debbie Schachter

Associate Vice-President, Students
Langara College

Anja Smit

Director of DANS
DANS is an institute of KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and NWO (Dutch Research Council)

Dwight Smith

President and CEO
Sophisticated Systems, Inc.

Ginny Steel

Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian
University of California, Los Angeles

Sarah E. Thomas

Vice President for the Harvard Library (retired)
Harvard University

Janet Walls

President
Delta Blvd

Shirley Chiu-wing Wong

University Librarian
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OCLC Executive Management Team

The OCLC Executive Management Team brings expertise to the cooperative from the worlds of technology, business, and librarianship. Learn more about the Presidents of OCLC—past and present.

Skip Prichard

President and Chief Executive Officer