Welcome from your Global Council!

It seems as if each year our responsibilities as libraries evolve and expand. We readily take on our traditional roles as information providers and keepers of culture, and daily we see the extension of our roles as community builders and advocates. Even as we face challenges that have forced us to reinvent how we deliver library services, we are continually reminded that the work we do to strengthen and serve as the hub of our communities is an essential function.

Our approximately 16,000 OCLC member institutions elect 48 Global Council delegates that are asked to provide this membership organization with the information and advice it needs to continue to move forward. And this year it is my honor to serve as Chair for this group of dedicated professionals.

As OCLC members, we choose to live beyond the walls of our institutions by being part of a greater community of libraries and archives working together globally. We are dedicated to examining emerging issues and aiding this organization to continue its pursuit of strengthening libraries through cooperative activities. This year, long before we knew what global crises we were going to confront, we chose our annual focus to be the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This global roadmap is intended to make all of our futures better, more equitable, and sustainable. We are pleased, but not surprised, that much of the daily work of libraries already serves to reinforce many of these admirable goals and that they also advocate for the freedoms and ethics long associated with our profession. As OCLC members we know from experience that working together makes our tasks easier while creating the momentum to move forward. Please follow along with the Global Council as we continue in our work on behalf of global libraries.

Welcome from your Americas Regional Council!

The Americas Regional Council (ARC) represents libraries from more than 8,000 institutional members from North, South, and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Our region is well served by 32 Global Council delegates elected by ARC members, to reflect the diversity of history, cultures, and languages of the libraries within The Americas.

On behalf of your elected ARC delegates, I encourage you to actively engage in the OCLC cooperative. Please share your views, ideas, and experiences with your ARC delegates and OCLC colleagues. Together, as members of the OCLC cooperative, our collective resources and activities will continue to not only enhance the world of knowledge and provide easier and faster access to it, but to also develop solutions to any challenges which we and our communities have to face. It has been a challenging year, but, one thing is definite – never before have we been more sure of the vital role our libraries play in the current and future well-being of our own communities, our regions, and the world.

Welcome from your EMEA Regional Council

The EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region represents more than 60 countries, a multitude of languages, and a vast number of people who depend on libraries, museums and archives to serve their interests and improve their lives. We understand that the diversity of our region is a strategic strength that builds the OCLC cooperative and provides our members with the products and services needed to enhance their institution’s ability to serve their users.

The eleven members of the EMEA Regional Council take seriously our duty to communicate the changing needs, and the challenges, of being contemporary libraries generated from ancient civilizations. Our regions, our cultures, and the contributions we make as part of a global force of information providers has helped to make OCLC the global organization that it is today. As we go forward, we understand that our strength is in our diversity, our respect for our profession, and our ability to work together to the betterment of ourselves and our global colleagues. It is that understanding that motivates us to continue our important work on behalf of libraries, our countries, and our Regional Council.

Welcome from your Asia Pacific Regional Council

It’s an honor to have been elected to the Asia Pacific Regional Council and to have the opportunity to serve as the APRC Regional Council Chair for 2021. The depth of our region’s histories and cultures are reflected in the collections of our institutions and are highly prized as an important part of the WorldCat database. We are proud of the breadth of resources and to contribute to the worldwide viewpoints that stitch together the OCLC collaboration of libraries. We help OCLC understand the unique needs of APRC institutions and work with our global colleagues to examine the emerging issues faced by modern global libraries.

By working locally, regionally and globally we benefit from and contribute to the innovation and research OCLC provides. We would like to invite libraries from the Asia Pacific region to continue to play an active role in the cooperative. We welcome your input, questions, comments, and concerns and will proudly represent the interests of libraries, archives and other member institutions as OCLC serves the interests of the global library community.