OCLC Annual Report 2025–2026

President’s Welcome

This year OCLC Research asked 698 library leaders how they are approaching artificial intelligence. Adoption is growing, though unevenly. Leaders see real opportunity and real concern in roughly equal measure, and most told us policy has yet to catch up with practice. They named one issue above the rest: trust. They want to know whom to trust with their data, which tools to put in front of their communities, and how to protect the confidence that libraries have built with the public over generations.

We have been asking this question since 1967, when a librarian and a group of university presidents founded OCLC. Library leaders have helped govern this nonprofit ever since, and what we earn goes back into serving libraries. AI is the newest form of an old responsibility: looking after what libraries have placed in our care, including their metadata, their systems, and their patrons' privacy. This report is organized around how we tried to meet that responsibility in FY26. Early this summer, one of our trustees said it as plainly as I have heard it: AI governance and member trust are the same agenda. I have not found a better way to put it.

Innovating: technology we can explain

Skepticism about AI is healthy, and the library leaders we surveyed expressed plenty of it. We share some of it, which is why our principles are human-led, transparent, and values-based. People remain accountable for quality and correctness. We tell you which models we use and what they can and cannot do, we work to address bias, and we protect privacy and security. We do not implement AI for AI's sake.

We know staffing is tight, so we have pointed AI at repetitive work and kept judgment with skilled people. Suggested Dewey numbers, Library of Congress classifications, and subject headings can save a cataloger up to 20 minutes on a record. The suggestion appears on the screen, and the cataloger decides whether it stays.

Interlibrary loan shows what a network of this size makes possible. Our smart fulfillment tools use machine learning and years of historical data to learn which libraries fill requests fastest and are ready to take on work right now. They route each request accordingly and spread the load so no one library is overwhelmed, and libraries using them have cut processing time by up to 50%. Express, which connects libraries committed to fast digital delivery, now includes more than 1,100 libraries in nearly 20 countries and fills requests in an average of 9.5 hours.

AI has an environmental cost, and we weigh it. Because so much of our work involves structured metadata, we often choose efficient machine learning over heavier generative approaches. We run on a modest GPU footprint in our own data centers and allocate computing power only when it is needed, which keeps energy use and cost down.

One place patrons meet AI directly is CloudLibrary, so we were careful there. CloudLibrary recommendations, launched this year in the United States and Canada, offers a patron three titles available right away at key moments: viewing a title, returning one, or placing a hold. Every suggestion comes from what the library already owns, and each comes with a short explanation of why it was chosen. The feature draws on guidance from librarians and runs on a private AI system that works only with a book's title, author, and ISBN. It does not track patron behavior or learn from anyone's borrowing history, and libraries can turn it on as an optional update.

One commitment sits above the rest. Library trust is to be protected, and that has shaped some of our hardest decisions. When big social media and technology conglomerates asked for holdings data they intended to mine and resell to the community, we declined.

AI at a glance

• Machine learning swept all of WorldCat for duplicates in about two weeks at 99.9% precision, ground that earlier methods needed years to cover.
• Optical character recognition in Article Exchange reads more than 150 languages and scripts with no configuration from library staff, so interlibrary loan materials reach screen readers automatically. It has processed more than 20.6 million pages in 71 languages.
• Early pilots using open-source language models to generate subject terms from article abstracts raised use of those materials by more than 50%.
• More than 1,500 catalogers from 113 countries joined our February Cataloging Community Meeting to hear colleagues describe responsible AI use, and OCLC Research's four-part series on AI in metadata workflows was our most-read of the year.

Strengthening: looking after what we build together

A library serves everyone who walks in and does not judge. That promise has never been easy to fund, and libraries are being asked to do more of it. They are fielding questions about AI, protecting patron privacy, meeting accessibility requirements, and proving their value to funders, with tight staffing and technology bills that keep climbing. We see those pressures from every side, because we serve libraries of every kind in more than 100 countries, and our conversations with librarians are as often about funding and staffing as about technology. Most of what we do for you happens where nobody sees it. The record corrected before a patron found the error, the request routed to a library that could fill it in minutes, the system that was up at three in the morning: that is the work, and the numbers below are the part we can show you.

WorldCat is built from the contributions of thousands of libraries, publishers, and other partners, and libraries remain at its heart. It now holds 627.8 million bibliographic records and 3.6 billion holdings, and people searched it 14.8 billion times this year. Its e-resource content includes 141 million open access items, and better labeling in WorldCat Discovery raised the number of articles marked as open by 22%. We keep investing in the tools that let libraries create and manage records, and we host and secure the system. Working together, OCLC staff and the library community improved millions of WorldCat records, a scale no single institution could reach alone.

Our work reaches well beyond one region. WorldShare Management Services grew to 878 libraries in 34 countries, from Armenia to South Africa to Italy. CloudLibrary now serves more than 700 public libraries in six countries, with streaming video newly launched in Australia and New Zealand. OCLC Wise runs 106 of the 130 public library organizations in the Netherlands and all 293 in Flanders, and we provided the platform for the new shared catalog connecting research and university libraries across the island of Ireland.

Libraries pay for the services built on WorldCat, and we reinvest all our income in library products, services, research, and programs, including $28.4 million in research and development this year. That reinvestment also helps pay for work no single library could fund: research published freely for the whole field, professional development open to every library, and the shared infrastructure beneath it all.

Giving time back is one way we try to respect your budgets. Libraries exported 44 million records from WorldCat, saving an estimated 7.2 million staff hours that would otherwise have gone to original cataloging. Some of our work carries no charge. We added linked data identifiers to records at no cost, released Dewey in Spanish with a freely available base set of linked data, and 470 libraries used our streamlined holdings update service, also at no additional charge, to refresh 47 million holdings.

Looking after WorldCat also means defending it. It draws people who would take it without permission and repurpose it for their own gain. We keep strengthening our systems against harvesting every day to ensure that our systems remain available to libraries.

Trust also means being dependable. WorldShare availability held at 99.94% this year, and our support teams resolved more than 65,000 requests, with 98% of surveyed customers satisfied. Libraries ought to be able to count on the organizations that serve them to be here next year and the year after. We ended the year financially sound, and we manage our finances carefully because we are building an OCLC you can rely on for years to come, beyond any single budget cycle. That long view also means we cannot say yes to everything requested. Staying sustainable is how we stay here for you.

Connecting: a community with a voice

OCLC began on a simple belief: libraries accomplish more together than any of them can alone. Today we are a nonprofit with a public purpose: to connect people and communities to information and to help share the collective knowledge of humanity. Libraries are the reason that work exists, and library leaders have a voice in how we pursue it. This year we completed the move to a smaller Leaders Council of 19 library leaders, focused on strategy, who advise us and elect six members of our Board of Trustees. In their meetings with our Board and executives, they took up the changing political, economic, and technological environment, including AI. Keith Webster of Carnegie Mellon University Libraries joined our Board of Trustees in 2025 as the first trustee chosen by the Council, and Mark Roosa of Pepperdine University and Helen Thomas of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury will join him in 2026.

The same purpose shapes programs that earn little or no revenue. WebJunction, our professional development program, is free and open to every library, with support from state libraries in 30 states. This year more than 27,000 learners made over 77,000 course enrollments. Six new Library Foundational Training courses, developed with the Idaho Commission for Libraries, give staff and volunteers in the smallest libraries a practical grounding in the profession. With IREX and the Urban Libraries Council we built a hub of resources for libraries that bring communities together across differences, and with the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public we helped library staff guide patrons through misinformation.

Cooperation is what OCLC is built on. Library staff contribute records, serve on committees and advisory groups, take seats on the Leaders Council, and tell us plainly when we have something wrong. Our trustees give their time to oversee our public purpose. Others may borrow parts of that model, but a network built over decades by the people it serves, for a purpose beyond profit, is not easily copied. To the library colleagues, councilors, and trustees who make it work, thank you.

Behind all of it are my colleagues at OCLC, who build, support, and continually improve these services every day. Thank you. Computerworld again named OCLC one of the Best Places to Work in IT, and I am proud of what that says about this team.

Looking ahead

The work in this report continues. We will keep AI human-led and explained in plain terms, keep looking for ways to give staff time back, keep your costs in view while technology prices rise for everyone, and keep library leaders closely involved in guiding OCLC.

Many of the library leaders I talk with have moved past whether to engage with AI. Their question now is whom to trust as they do. We intend to keep earning that trust one decision at a time, and I hope you will tell us when we fall short. If you want to know how any AI feature in your OCLC services works, ask us. We invite conversation and your questions.

Thank you for the trust you place in OCLC. We work every day to earn it.

Skip Prichard
OCLC President and Chief Executive Officer

In FY26, OCLC partnered with libraries to apply AI in practical ways that improved services, streamlined workflows, and helped staff focus on the work that matters most. Together, we turned emerging technology into real-world solutions that strengthened libraries and the communities they serve.

Turning AI into impact

Guided by feedback from library professionals, we introduced AI-powered innovations that made library work easier and more effective—from improving accessibility and discovery to enhancing metadata quality and supporting better patron experiences.

Reducing the accessibility burden

Making collections more accessible shouldn't create more work for library staff. That's why we're using AI to remove barriers and scale accessibility improvements across library workflows and collections.

AI Optical Character Recognition (OCR) recognizes more than 150 languages and converts images, photos, and scanned PDFs into searchable, machine-readable text. That means patrons can search documents, copy text, and use screen readers, text-to-speech, and braille displays more easily. The feature works with a library's existing setup—no configuration required—and is already improving accessibility in resource sharing workflows in Article Exchange.

Contextualized alt-text generation helps libraries make digital collections more accessible while reducing manual effort. This optional service automatically creates rich image descriptions using existing metadata to improve accuracy and reduce hallucinations. It also supports WCAG/ADA compliance, improves SEO, and makes digital collections easier to discover. The feature is now available in CONTENTdm.

Powering recommendations

Helping patrons discover the right resources is becoming easier with AI-powered recommendations.

In CloudLibrary, we introduced an optional feature that provides "Why you might like this" explanations for recommended titles. Built on librarian-curated algorithms, it helps libraries increase the value of their collections by connecting readers with more of the titles they already own.

In Wise, we launched a pilot using personalized recommendation carousels that tailor suggestions using patron interests and metadata. The pilot is helping us understand how recommendations improve discovery and engagement while gathering feedback from library staff and patrons. Those insights will shape future improvements and prepare the service for a broader rollout.

Improving data quality and enrichment

Better metadata means better discovery, more efficient cataloging, and a stronger WorldCat.

AI-driven deduplication continues to improve the quality of WorldCat by processing the entire database in about two weeks and identifying duplicate records with 99.9% precision. The result is cleaner metadata and fewer downstream cataloging and discovery issues for libraries.

AI is also making metadata enrichment faster and more consistent. Automated suggestions for DDC, LCC, and LCSH are saving catalogers up to 20 minutes per record while giving them complete control over whether to accept or reject recommendations. Their decisions also help improve future suggestions.

We're also developing automated subject generation for article abstracts to improve discovery of records with limited metadata. Using topic extraction and open-source large language models, early pilots have increased material usage by more than 50%.

Engaging the community in discussion

As AI continues to evolve, libraries are looking for practical guidance—not just new technology.

To better understand how libraries are approaching AI, we surveyed library leaders across our community. The results showed that AI adoption is growing, but thoughtfully. Library leaders are balancing opportunity with risk, building trust, developing policies, and focusing on practical uses that deliver real value today while preparing for what's next.

To help libraries navigate these changes, OCLC Research published a four-part Hanging Together blog series based on insights from the Research Library Partnership Managing AI in Metadata Workflows Working Group. The series gives libraries practical guidance for integrating AI into metadata workflows while balancing innovation with responsible implementation. It became the blog's most-read series of the year.

The posts included:

Backlogs and Beyond: AI in Primary Cataloging Workflows

This post explores how human-guided automation can help libraries reduce uncataloged materials, improve legacy records, and support description across languages and scripts while preserving professional skills and metadata quality.

Exploring AI Uses in Archives and Special Collections: Integration, Entities, and Addressing Need

This post examines how automation can expand description, accessibility, and entity resolution for distinctive materials while requiring integrated tools, quality thresholds, and transparent documentation of machine-generated data.

Examining the Role of AI in Institutional Repository Workflows

This post considers how automation can improve repository deposits and remediate older records, while emphasizing early intervention, measurable value, ethical safeguards, and human oversight.

Striking the Right Balance: Opportunities and Challenges of AI in Metadata Workflows

This post argues that responsible adoption depends on reliable outputs, cultural and contextual expertise, transparent provenance, sustainable design, and continued human judgment.

WebJunction also partnered with librarians at Salt Lake County Library to develop a webinar and article on AI and collection development policies. Their message was clear: libraries don't need to avoid AI-generated content—they need thoughtful policies for managing it. By grounding decisions in their mission, prioritizing transparency and quality, and remaining flexible as technology evolves, libraries can continue providing trusted access to information while adapting to a rapidly changing publishing landscape.

This year, libraries faced tightening budgets and rising demand to rapid technological change. In FY26, we helped you respond with smarter technology, stronger data, and practical research that made you more resilient and ready for what's next.

The world’s most efficient cloud-based library services platform, in more libraries and more countries

Libraries are under constant pressure to do more with fewer resources. WorldShare Management Services (WMS) helps them meet that challenge by simplifying daily operations, reducing manual work, and improving access to collections and services.

That value continues to resonate. In FY26, 48 new libraries selected WMS, bringing total growth since 2024 to more than 100 new libraries. Today, 878 libraries in 34 countries rely on WMS to manage their library operations.

Guided by feedback from library staff, we introduced several enhancements that made every day work more efficient.

• Supporting open access publishing
  Libraries can manage article processing charges (APCs) directly in WMS, eliminating the need to track payments in spreadsheets or separate systems. The new workflow saves staff time while providing better reporting and analytics to support open access publishing.
• Streamlining collection development
  A new Choreo Insights integration makes it easier to build collections by automatically creating purchase requests from recommended titles. What was once a manual, title-by-title process is faster, more efficient, and less prone to errors, especially when working with large title lists.
• Reaching patrons faster
  Libraries can now automatically send text notifications for holds, checkouts, and reminders. Because text messages are typically read within minutes, patrons are more likely to pick up available materials, renew loans, or return items on time—improving service while reducing administrative work.

Growing a global community

Libraries of every size and type continued to adopt WMS during FY26. Among the new subscribers to WMS:

The Americas

• Alberta Law Libraries
• Alcorn State University
• Auburn University at Montgomery
• Central New Mexico Community College Library
• Columbia State Community College
• Defense Security Cooperation University
• Edgewood University
• Goodwin University
• Kettering University Library

• Milwaukee Area Technical College Library
• Milwaukee School of Engineering Library
• Old Dominion University
• Rogers State University
• St. Mary's University
• Touro College
• Touro-Harlem Medical Library
• Universidad de Medellín
• University of Redlands
• The Virginia Department of Transportation

Europe and the Asia Pacific region

• American University of Armenia
• Competition Commission
• Courts Library NT
• Department of Correctional Services
• EUMETSAT
• Gauteng Department of Education
• Gustav Mahler Privatuniversität Klagenfurt
• Hamburger Fern-Hochschule
• HCC–Hessisches Competence Center
• Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach
• Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Madrid

• Loughborough University
• Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory
• Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim
• Österreichische Nationalbank
• Public Protector
• Rafik Hariri University
• Ridley College Library
• The Presidency 1
• Università Ca' Foscari Venezia
• Università IUAV di Venezia
• University of Chichester
• Western Cape Provincial Parliament

“Our librarians liked all the workflows, reports, and everything that WMS has to offer. For them, at the end of the day, it was unanimous that we select WMS.”

Lorely Ambriz
Dean of Counseling and Libraries, Instruction and Student Success
El Paso Community College

Advancing public libraries’ digital transformation and community engagement

Public libraries continue to find ways to have a greater impact in their communities by expanding digital access, connecting more readers with more content, and giving patrons a better borrowing experience. In FY26, our CloudLibrary service continued to grow by helping libraries deliver more digital content, simplify access, and meet changing community needs. And OCLC Wise, our customer engagement system that empowers public libraries, expanded in the Netherlands and Belgium and was reintroduced in the US.

Growing digital access

More than 700 public libraries across six countries use CloudLibrary to serve their communities, recording nearly 18 million digital checkouts during the year, with audiobook borrowing outpacing ebooks for the first time.

Key new customers included E-Read Texas, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), the Grand River Digital Library Consortium, SHARES FL Academic Group, Edith Cowan University, Logan City, Oakville Public Library, and Cornwall Public Library.

Expanding entertainment choices

To give libraries even more ways to engage patrons, we launched streaming video in Australia and New Zealand, offering unlimited, ad-free access to thousands of films and TV episodes with no holds or waiting.

Helping patrons discover more

We also introduced an optional title recommendations feature in the United States and Canada. Using librarian-curated AI, patrons can request personalized "Why you might like this" recommendations through the CloudLibrary mobile app, helping them discover more titles from their library's existing collection.

Making migration easier

We completed 31 digital collection migrations from competing platforms, making it easier for libraries to transition to CloudLibrary without disrupting service.

Recognized for innovation

CloudLibrary's innovation was recognized with a 2026 Gold Modern Library Award from LibraryWorks for transforming digital access.

Building a system around people, driven by data

Imagine a system built to help libraries truly connect with their communities, grow their relationships, and adapt easily to changing local needs. That’s exactly what OCLC Wise delivers by combining library management tools with marketing, analytics, and customer relationship management all in one place.

The platform is already a hit across the Dutch and Flemish public library sectors. During FY26, in the Netherlands, 106 out of 130 public library organizations relied on Wise, and in Flanders, adoption is at 100% across all 293 libraries. Recently, following a successful rollout, BplusC, the largest cultural organization in the Leiden region, joined the family. BplusC is the leading center for art, culture, and knowledge in Leiden and serves as the area’s public library network.

Managing group loans just got a lot simpler as well. Wise now features a dedicated reading group tool that lets library staff handle bulk requests from a single screen. Group leaders can grab and return everything at once using a specialized subscription, while the system automatically hunts down the needed copies two weeks before the meetup starts. Cultuurconnect is actively piloting this feature.

In the US, after a lot of focused work and investment alongside library partners, the product team completely overhauled Wise's legacy code. The result is a modern, sleek web application rebuilt from scratch to match the exact way libraries operate today.

Expanding the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections

Libraries depend on trusted metadata to help people discover the right resources quickly. WorldCat makes that possible by reducing cataloging work, expanding access to shared metadata, and connecting libraries to the world’s most comprehensive network of bibliographic data.

WorldCat activity in FY26:

14.8 billion searches performed

72.3 million new records created

44 million records exported

Growing e-resource content

Libraries have more digital content than ever to manage. This year, WorldCat services expanded to 1.6 billion digital items, providing one-click access to ebooks, journals, streaming media, and open access resources.

E-resources included 87.9 million ebooks and 1.5 billion digital content items. WorldCat services also included 141 million open access items and had 4.2 billion records that contain article metadata with links to full text.

Getting users fast access to e-resources and discovering new ways to manage your digital collections improved. By continually growing and upgrading the WorldCat knowledge base, it provides the strong foundation libraries need to smoothly handle e-resources and constantly add new content providers.

This year, the network expanded even further by welcoming partners like the National Institute of Informatics, the American Phytopathological Society, Findmypast, Clickview, and New Prairie Press. By the end of the fiscal year, the database grew to 35,466 collections from 695 providers and totaling 101,286,450 records. That is a solid 11% jump in collections and a 7.4% boost in records compared to last year.

Improving record quality

Better metadata means better discovery—and less time spent fixing records. Our staff worked on 405 million records while the library community improved an additional 2.3 million records. Together, we gave catalogers more time to focus on unique and special collections while improving discovery for everyone. And WorldCat’s unique community good participatory model allows this to happen at a scale that no individual institution can achieve alone.

Connecting collections through linked data

Libraries are preparing for a future where collections connect seamlessly across systems. By expanding linked data in WorldCat, we're helping libraries improve discovery today while building a stronger foundation for tomorrow. This year, OCLC added more than 114 million WorldCat Entities URls to bibliographic records for Persons, Places, Events, Works, and Organizations, bringing the number of linked entities to 364 million.

These URIs act as bridges between MARC data and linked data, creating new pathways for discovery and future-proofing library collections. By enriching WorldCat records with linked data, we’re helping libraries connect their resources to the wider knowledge ecosystem while maintaining seamless workflows.

Libraries are making their digital collections much more visible and interactive thanks to the steady growth of OCLC Meridian. A brand-new feature lets libraries link IIIF image manifests directly to WorldCat Entities data, bringing a library's digital images and rare materials right into global research networks.

To help library staff get the most out of these tools, we provide hands-on support through the Entity Management Cooperative (EMCO) program. This includes practical training and live troubleshooting sessions, like the Virtual AskQC Office Hours, so libraries can easily manage entities and connect their local catalogs to the wider web.

“This project enabled us to enrich metadata around the two chosen collections, creating links between persons, places, and works, which will benefit users when surfaced in WorldCat Discovery. It demonstrated that there is a clear role for OCLC Meridian and WorldCat Entities in improving accessibility of library special collections and proved that it is an inclusive product that doesn’t require experienced metadata specialists.”

Sarah Glaccum
Discovery Manager
University of Southampton

Libraries worldwide can now serve their Spanish-speaking communities much better thanks to a new partnership between OCLC and Referencistas. By bringing WebDewey and Dewey linked data into Spanish, libraries everywhere can access high-quality metadata and data tools, no matter which language they work in. This update connects Spanish subject classifications directly to WorldCat Entities using uniform resource identifiers (URIs), making it easier for researchers to discover information. Over 130 million of these Dewey URIs have already been added to WorldCat MARC records to supercharge global search results.

Libraries are getting digital resources into patrons’ hands faster than ever through our Express digital delivery program. In FY26, more than 1,100 libraries in nearly 20 countries participated in Express, which connects some of the fastest digital suppliers in the OCLC resource sharing network with one another. The exceptional performance and shared commitment of these participating libraries enabled copy requests to be fulfilled in an average of 9.5 hours. Express is available at no additional cost to libraries that subscribe to WorldShare ILL, Tipasa, ILLiad, or Resource Sharing for Groups.

Library patrons can now search text, copy quotes, and use screen readers seamlessly thanks to the new automated OCR technology in Article Exchange—giving them a much better user experience with zero extra work for library staff. Based directly on library feedback, this update automatically processes PDFs behind the scenes to deliver incredible accessibility features without changing a library’s existing workflow.

The numbers show that this new OCR technology is already making a massive impact, with more than 20.6 million pages processed, averaging 100,000+ pages a day. It has already handled 71 different languages—including everything from English and Spanish to Ancient Greek and Esperanto!

Library patrons find and get the exact resources they need faster and more inclusively thanks to a year of major upgrades to WorldCat Discovery. This unbiased, single-search system connects users to libraries worldwide and has been modernized to meet WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards—ensuring legacy pages like A to Z lists work seamlessly for everyone.

Among the new features that make discovery easier for libraries:

• Fewer duplicates: Smart central index clustering has cleaned up clutter across 387 million records, so users see cleaner search results.
• Smarter searching: Patrons can now drop a DOI directly into the search bar for instant document retrieval. Users also can sort by publication date more consistently, and search or sort natively in Chinese.

• Massive open access boost: A new visual indicator and filter make it easy to spot open access articles in hybrid journals, boosting the retrieval of OA-labeled articles by 22%.
• Nearly 5 billion records: We added nine new collections from five new providers. Library patrons now have access to a massive central index of 4.9 billion records from 435 global publishers.

And because WorldCat Discovery is fully customizable, libraries can easily tailor these new upgrades to fit their local community's exact needs.

“Ease-of-use is our top benefit. With WorldCat Discovery being such a user-friendly platform, it's easier for us to teach students, it's easier for students to use and become familiar with, and then they're more confident using it.”

Jenn Laskosky
Online Services Librarian
Concordia University of Edmonton

Exploring future-focused questions facing libraries

As libraries navigate rapid change, they need research that answers practical questions and informs confident decisions. In FY26, OCLC Research sharpened its agenda around the issues library leaders said matter most: technology transformation, the changing role of libraries in higher education, and community impact.

That work translated into practical guidance in multiple ways. Alongside major research reports, we introduced new ways to share timely insights that help library leaders respond to change as it happens.

Stewarding the Collective Collection

Our researchers have produced a substantial body of work exploring collective collections and what they mean for the future of libraries. An important area of this research focuses on shared print programs, where groups of libraries work together to steward their collective print collections. This year, we released the report Making Shared Print Work, which brings together community perspectives on the workflows, data, and tools that support shared print initiatives while identifying opportunities to strengthen these programs for the future.

Researching collections and support

Research libraries do far more than manage collections. They support data curation, research impact analysis, grant development, digital scholarship, and many other critical services. Yet many institutional stakeholders still primarily associate library value with collection stewardship alone. That perception gap can limit a library’s visibility, influence, and ability to secure resources. To help address that challenge, we published The Library Beyond the Library, which offers a practical framework for helping research libraries better communicate their evolving value and strengthen their role in the institutional research enterprise.

Launching quick data insights and library leader surveys

To make research findings easier to discover and apply, we launched Data Insights from OCLC Research. This ongoing series of short, visually engaging analyses showcases the depth and quality of WorldCat data, giving the library community a window into unique trends and patterns. These timely insights fit into the flow of everyday work while complementing the in-depth studies that remain a cornerstone of our work.

Two Data Insights that were published in FY26 were:

From Marco Polo to Gladiator: Italy’s Influence on the Published Record

This uses WorldCat library data to identify the centuries-old Italian classics that endure, the country's most popular author, and the most popular film set or filmed in Italy. By tracing these works’ presence across library collections worldwide, it reveals how Italy’s cultural influence is reflected in the global published record, as well as WorldCat's ability to advance our understanding of culture and scholarship.

The Importance of Being Ernest Hemingway: Measuring Literary Popularity and Impact with WorldCat Data

This uses library catalog data to analyze Ernest Hemingway’s enduring legacy. While a recent article in The Economist used Wikipedia traffic to crown Hemingway the most famous 20th-century American novelist over F. Scott Fitzgerald, this interactive briefing questions if web traffic is the best metric. Ultimately, it demonstrates how library data provides a more complete, reliable picture of an author's true impact.

To better understand how library leaders are navigating today's rapidly changing environment, we also introduced a new series of pulse surveys focused on leadership priorities. These brief surveys capture how leaders are responding to emerging challenges in real time, supporting strategic planning across the profession. The inaugural survey explored AI, finding that adoption is growing but uneven as leaders balance opportunities against concerns about trust, governance, and policy.

Libraries are stronger when they can learn from peers, share ideas, and solve challenges together. Through leadership councils, online communities, professional development, and events around the world, we help library professionals connect with one another, influence the future of library services, and discover practical solutions they can bring back to their communities.

Deepening strategic conversations

Libraries now have a more direct role in shaping the future of library technology through the OCLC Leaders Council. This group of 19 library leaders works directly with our executives and the OCLC Board of Trustees to share perspectives on the challenges you face and help guide future priorities.

In FY26, Council members explored topics including artificial intelligence, changing technology needs, and the evolving role of libraries. Their insights are influencing our roadmap and ensure new solutions reflect real-world library needs.

The Council also strengthens library representation within OCLC governance. Councilors elect six members to the Board of Trustees, creating a direct connection between library leaders and organizational decision-making.

Keith Webster, the Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of University Libraries at Carnegie Mellon University, took his seat on the OCLC Board in November 2025 as the first member elected by the new Leaders Council. We thank Debbie Schachter, Associate Vice-President, Students, Langara College, for her service. She completed her term on the Board when Keith took his seat.

In June 2026, Mark Roosa, Dean of Libraries at Pepperdine University, and Helen Thomas, Associate University Librarian, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha/University of Canterbury, were elected by Leaders Council and joined the Board in November 2026.

2025–2026 Board of Trustees

The OCLC Board of Trustees guides the vision of OCLC, shaping its strategy and goals. The Board also fulfills the fiduciary duty of protecting OCLC‘s shared assets and investments.

A message from Ginny Steel, Chair, OCLC Board of Trustees

Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian (retired), University of California, Los Angeles

This year, OCLC and the global library community forged a powerful partnership to secure a vibrant future. By accelerating the transition to linked data, we’re making library collections highly discoverable on the web. At the same time, responsible AI initiatives cleared administrative backlogs, freeing staff to focus on deep community connection. Through innovative ideas, shared data, and a commitment to open access, we are ensuring that libraries remain irreplaceable anchors of knowledge, equity, and human collaboration.

Connecting librarians to solve challenges together

The OCLC Community Center gives library professionals a place to exchange ideas and learn from one another. With more than 30,000 members and more than 53,000 posts through FY26, the community continues to grow and provide a large archive of questions and answers from the community for the community. Libraries used these connections to turn ideas into action.

Snapicat at DevConnect

The Boston Public Library (BPL) presented Snapicat, a tool developed using the WorldCat Metadata API, after being inspired by previous DevConnect sessions. BPL’s presentation showed how Snapicat is transforming the library’s cataloging workflow by automating batch-processing of bibliographic records. Snapicat operates as a web application that takes tabular spreadsheets of brief bibliographic data, allows catalogers to build iterative searches to query WorldCat in bulk to select the best matching records, and batches the results into downloadable, standardized MARC/MARCXML records ready for the local catalog.

“Ask an ILLer”

This discussion series also grew from a community suggestion to keep interlibrary loan pros and newcomers connected and supported throughout the year. Facilitated by the OCLC community team and eight community members, the series hosted three webinars and three moderated discussion threads—drawing more than 1,000 resource sharing professionals.

OCLC Cataloging Community Meeting

The virtual meeting in February gave catalogers practical ideas for using AI effectively and responsibly. Library professionals shared real-world approaches, and we demonstrated how these concepts align with AI-powered cataloging features in WorldShare Record Manager. A record 1,512 catalogers participated live or on demand.

WMS Connect series

In 2026, the series gave more library staff ideas they could put to work right away, helping them improve collections and make more materials easier for patrons to discover. Event participation more than doubled since last year with WMS library staff from around the world sharing and learning from each other’s insights. Sessions covered strategies for creating thematic book displays and measuring their impact, using Digby for large-scale inventory projects, and cataloging unique collections so students can find and use them.

Building stronger libraries through learning

When library staff have access to professional development, they gain the knowledge and confidence to better serve their communities. To meet that demand, WebJunction continued expanding free learning opportunities for libraries of all sizes, types, and locations.

In FY26, the WebJunction Course Catalog remained a go-to destination for free, high-quality learning. More than 27,000 learners made more than 77,000 course enrollments across the catalog’s 60 self-paced courses and 330 recorded webinars. Twenty webinars attracted more than 13,000 registrations and explored timely topics such as AI, community programming, and collection development.

WebJunction staff also launched six new Library Foundational Training (LiFT) courses to provide training in essential library skills. Developed with the Idaho Commission for Libraries, the 12-course curriculum generated more than 15,000 enrollments, showing strong demand for flexible, accessible learning.

To support librarians using OCLC products, we expanded training options. More than 8,000 participants joined one of 60+ instructor-led live webinars or watched recorded sessions. Our YouTube library of 600+ quick-guide videos, including 30+ in Spanish and 100+ in French, reached more than 33,000 views in FY26. Hands-on eLearning tools—like simulations and quizzes—provided a safe space to explore new product functionality and workflows. The library of eLearning content now covers over 10 products with more than 30 courses that received almost 1,500 views. These resources help library staff stay informed, confident, and ready to serve their communities.

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Meeting the global library community in person and online

Libraries benefit from opportunities to interact face-to-face and online with us and colleagues around the world. In FY26, we connected with more than 15,000 librarians through 46 conferences and 147 virtual and in-person events.

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At major gatherings—including the Public Library Association Conference, American Library Association Annual Conference, and the IFLA World Library and Information Congress—thousands of library professionals shared ideas, explored solutions, and discussed the challenges facing their libraries. Through conversations, presentations, and interactive activities, we gathered valuable feedback, strengthened relationships, and captured stories that celebrate the impact you have in your communities.

Interest in AI and linked data discussions at IFLA was so strong that we later hosted an online version, making those conversations available to even more librarians around the world.

Throughout the year, we also hosted OCLC Day meetings, webinars, and community events that gave you practical guidance and opportunities to learn from one another. More than 600 librarians attended OCLC Day meetings, where they explored user stories and learned about enhancements to resource sharing, analytics, metadata, cataloging, and other services.

To make learning more accessible, we delivered 98 webinars in five languages, reaching nearly 12,000 registrants worldwide. Sessions covered AI, WorldShare Management Services, linked data, EZproxy, resource sharing, digital collections, and other topics that help you prepare for what’s next.

Libraries also connected through community events that reflected local priorities while contributing to a global conversation. From discussions on AI and library leadership at Bibliotheksleitungstag and BiblioCon, to networking at OCLC Contactdag, the ALIA National Conference, OCLC Italia Day, and a new webinar series in Spain, library professionals shared experiences, explored new ideas, and strengthened professional relationships.

Every conference, webinar, and community event helped you learn from peers, influence our work, discover practical solutions, and strengthen the global relationships that help libraries adapt and thrive.