The OCLC cooperative is not owned by anyone. A nonprofit, library cooperative, OCLC is a membership organization whose public purposes are to further access to the world's information and reduce the rate of rise of library costs. Librarians guide the OCLC cooperative and help shape its services and direction. In contrast to a for-profit corporation, there are no shareholders.

Does OCLC issue an annual report?

Yes. Each year, OCLC issues an annual report that highlights the cooperative's major achievements for the fiscal year. The report also includes key financial data and a review of the year's financial activity with links to the Report of the Audit Committee and to the audited financial statements. Beginning in 2014, the report became an online publication only.

Who audits OCLC's financial statements?

BDO, an international public accounting, tax and advisory firm appointed by the OCLC Board of Trustees, audits the financial statements of OCLC.

Yes, the OCLC cooperative is tax-exempt under U.S. tax laws, which define charitable activities to include advancement of education. OCLC applied for exemption from US income tax on U.S Federal Form 1023 and was granted exemption in 1970.

Why are OCLC subsidiaries considered for profit?

The European for-profit subsidiaries (companies owned by OCLC) provide computer library services to libraries similar to OCLC. However, under European law they do not qualify as charities and no other nonprofit legal organization type is available.

Does OCLC have a sustainability fund?

Yes, the investment portfolio provides a reserve operating fund that potentially would cover approximately 65% of operating expenses.

Does OCLC make a profit?

With the concurrence of the Board of Trustees, the OCLC cooperative strives to operate in a financially responsible manner with cost-sharing revenues that slightly exceed expenses. The goal is to have an annual contribution, including income from the investment portfolio, on a five-year rolling average of 4 to 6 percent to maintain long-term financial viability in pursuing the cooperative's public purposes. OCLC recognizes that in some years it will meet or exceed that objective, while in others it will not.

Does OCLC engage in mergers and acquisitions?

Since 1999, OCLC has engaged in several mergers and acquisitions. The reasons are varied and include preserving member assets, expanding the membership and building presence outside the United States, enhancing current service offerings and reducing the development cost of new service offerings.

Could OCLC pay dividends to its members?

Under U.S. law for tax-exempt organizations, no dividends can be paid to members of the cooperative. In the event of OCLC's dissolution, the Board of Trustees would adopt a plan to distribute the cooperative's assets in a way that is consistent with the purpose of OCLC.

How much does OCLC spend on research and development each year?

Over the last five years, the OCLC cooperative has spent between $29 to $38 million annually on research and development. This includes development and enhancement of OCLC services and products as well as investment in OCLC Research.

Why and how does OCLC compensate its Board of Trustees?

Members of the OCLC Board of Trustees guide the activities and strategic direction of the organization. Service on the OCLC Board of Trustees requires a significant amount of time, both in preparation for and participation in board and committee meetings. Early in OCLC’s formation, an independent study of OCLC governance recommended that members of the OCLC Board of Trustees should be compensated. That practice has been in place for nearly 40 years. Compensation of individual trustees varies, based upon committee assignments, number of meetings and workloads. Compensation is determined by an independently reviewed policy and with input from independent compensation consultants. Compensation for board members and OCLC executives is reported on the IRS Form 990 tax return for nonprofit corporations. These forms are published annually and publicly accessible on the Web.

非营利成员组织

OCLC 是一个非营利组织，由成员有偿使用共享服务和项目提供资金。我们的财务计划要求我们平衡成本、收入和长期的可持续性。为此，我们设立了收入超过支出 2% 至 4% 这一目标。这个目标有助于我们尽量保持高效运营，同时明智地为未来投资。

我们支持成本分摊原则

成员图书馆通过有偿使用我们的在线服务和软件来分摊组织的成本。在外部经济急剧衰退的数年时间里，OCLC 一直保持价格稳定。在其他年份，该机制一直谨慎地提高成员成本，从而适当投资新服务和新技术。

在瞬息万变的经济环境中，我们必须确保组织有足够的资金，以便提供成员所需的新服务和程序，让其为本地用户和社区服务。通过这种方式，我们能继续帮助图书馆降低成本，同时为他们所服务的社区提供更好的信息获取渠道。

常见问题

OCLC 的所有权归谁所有？

OCLC 发布年度报告吗？

OCLC 的财务报表由谁来审计？

OCLC 可以免税吗？

OCLC 的子公司为什么被视为“以营利为目的”？

OCLC 有可持续性基金吗？

OCLC 盈利吗？

OCLC 进行兼并和收购吗？

OCLC 为成员分红吗？

OCLC 每年在研发上投入的经费是多少？

OCLC 为什么给理事会发薪以及如何发放？

在哪里可以找到有关 OCLC 慈善团体地位的更多信息？

年度报告

2023–2024 OCLC 年度报告

财务报表

2023–2024 OCLC 已审计的 OCLC 财务报表 (PDF)

往期 OCLC 年度报告和合并财务报表存储在 OCLC 数字化存档中。

Digital comics and manga

Streaming video

探讨您的图书馆的下一步行动

查找您的图书馆需求

战略方向

产品（按地区列出）

产品（按功能列出）

产品（按图书馆类型列出）

会员的事迹

财务