Libraries as Community Catalysts
Libraries as Community Catalysts is an OCLC research and programming initiative that seeks to support libraries and cultural institutions as catalysts for positive change. This work understands libraries as crucial community hubs with dynamic spaces for learning, collaboration, and community engagement.
OCLC Research partners with libraries and cultural institutions to offer the resources needed to meet changing community needs. This approach emphasizes the evolving and expanding role of libraries as essential contributors to a community's well-being and development.
Projects
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives
OCLC Research is convening community conversations around issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the library field. EDI cuts across many areas of librarianship from staffing to collections and beyond. We hope to support libraries as they work through these issues and are working on a number of initiatives in that effort.
Libraries Leverage Wikimedia
OCLC has led several initiatives involving Wikimedia projects, most notably Wikipedia and Wikidata. Some have been in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation while others with the global Wikimedia volunteer community, who contributes content and actively builds Wikimedia projects.
Public Library Research Project
Explores the public library landscape in the US and Canada to identify current and emerging priorities that can benefit from future investigation.
Reimagine Descriptive Workflows
Description, subject analysis, classification, authority control, and cataloging practices are part of a powerful naming and labeling process in bibliographic archival description. Collections’ metadata include outdated and racist terminology that cause harm and contributes to experiences, memories, and achievements of communities being mischaracterized or overlooked.