Meeting global challenges with collaborative leadership
Each year, Global Council votes on an area of focus to help concentrate efforts around a challenge facing libraries around the world. This important work spans not only geographic regions, but all types of libraries, while providing opportunities for professionals at all levels of their careers to participate and add their voices and ideas to the conversation.
2023 Area of Focus: Redefining the library experience
Whether on a university campus, at a local school, or in a metropolitan neighborhood, libraries are continually evolving how they engage with their users to make the most impact within their communities. This evolution recently has included a renewed emphasis on proactively shaping experiences around library spaces, programming, collections, and staff development.
This year’s focus for OCLC Global Council will be on “Redefining the library experience.” The “library experience” is a concept that the library community has indicated a strong interest in exploring, and it echoes in findings from OCLC Research initiatives such as the New Model Library. In partnership with OCLC Research, we’ll explore themes such as community engagement with the library, collaboration among libraries and community partners, and innovative programs that meet the community’s continually evolving needs and expectations.
How can improving library experiences create more meaningful engagement and bring impactful change? Through online discussion opportunities and a global survey, Global Council and OCLC Research will bring together library leaders from around the world. Together, they will explore if and how libraries are including the library experience in their future planning to create positive experiences that provide meaningful engagement, bringing impactful change to the communities we serve.
Join the conversation in our webinar series
Join OCLC Research and library leaders from across the globe as they discuss how libraries are creating innovative experiences that provide meaningful engagement, bringing impactful change to our communities.
Upcoming webinars
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15 June 2023
Redefining the library experience: Insights and inspiration
Join Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Executive Director, OCLC Research, and library leaders from OCLC’s Global Council as they share results from the 2023 global survey on “Redefining the library experience.”
- Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, North America [UTC -4]
On-demand webinars
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24 January 2023
Redefining the library experience: Putting ideas into action
Join Lesley Langa, Associate Research Scientist, OCLC Research, and library leaders from OCLC’s Global Council for a discussion on how libraries around the world are rethinking the library experience.
- Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, North America [UTC -5]
This event has passed. View the archive.
GLOBAL SURVEY: Redefining the library experience
Thank you for your interest in the global survey that explores community engagement with the library, collaboration among libraries and community partners, and innovative programming. The survey closed on 20 March 2023. A report of the findings will be shared with the library community in June 2023.
Explore past Areas of Focus
Global Council together with OCLC Research, work together to develop original research on various topics, producing ongoing resources and presentations that lead to real outcomes for the library community.
2022: Libraries and Open Ecosystems
Libraries play an important role in providing crucial resources and services. As patron needs grow and change, libraries adapt to meet those needs. The 2022 focus explored the library’s symbiotic relationship with the social, educational, informational, and environmental infrastructure of the community where it is located, and its broader impact.
On-demand webinars
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15 July 2022
Creating a New Model Library
This session will focus on changes made both before and during the pandemic that influenced leaders’ visions for their libraries during the next five years, including library participation in open ecosystems.
- Time: 01:00 – 02:00 Eastern Standard Time, Australia [UTC +10]
This event has passed. View the archive.
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13 April 2022
Libraries and Open Ecosystems: Metadata challenges and opportunities in the open ecosystem
Join Kathryn Stine, OCLC Research Library Partnership, and library leaders from OCLC’s Global Council as they discuss the next generation of metadata, including contributing environmental factors, and the findings of the Reimagine Descriptive Workflows project.
- Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, North America [UTC -4]
This event has passed. View the archive.
2021: Sustainable Development Goals
Libraries can bring unique strengths and collective muscle to global sustainability challenges. To inspire more conversations, expanded engagement, and action that leads to impact, OCLC’s Global Council has set its FY21 area of focus on sustainability.
2020: Discovery and Fulfillment
Learn about discovery and fulfillment efforts in libraries around the world from this global library survey. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for libraries worldwide and what do respondents believe is the next big thing? See how libraries around the world share similar challenges and where they differ.
2019: Open Access, Open Content
Learn more about open access and open content activities in libraries around the world. This report covers findings from a global library survey of 511 respondents from 69 countries and offers new perspectives on open content activities within the library community as it uncovers and highlights the maturity and versatility of these activities.
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