OCLC.org Skip to page content. Worldwide English Search Membership Products Support Research News & Events About Contacts Sign in to Services Serving public libraries Public libraries perform unique and critical roles in their communities. These roles evolve and change with the needs of the people they serve, and they often include economic development, adult and early childhood literacy, support for government programs and more. In response to local funding pressures and the changing needs of their users, public libraries work with OCLC to automate back-office activities, improve services for users and increase the impact of public libraries as a whole. Products and programs for public libraries Satisfy a wider range of needs through worldwide resource sharing Stow - Munroe Falls Public Library is known in the region as the go-to library for interlibrary loan requests. It's a testament to the staff's can-do attitude. They rely on easy access to other libraries' materials through a global resource sharing network as an essential part of how they serve their community. Read Stow - Munroe Falls Public Library's story Empower staff to learn on their own The Morrison Regional Branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library provided staff with time to devote to self-directed learning. That helped them become more familiar with the library's tools and technology and directly improved service to their patrons. Read Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's story Increase accessibility to digitized special collections The Seattle Public Library wanted to increase online access to its historical digital collections. Because of limited IT support and staff time, they chose a hosted service that they could easily customize right out of the box. Read The Seattle Public Library's story Bring health information to your community Librarians at Miami Public Library know that the community relies on their resources. After identifying a need for better access to health information, the library launched an effort to establish strong health literacy programs and services for both staff and patrons. Read Miami Public Library's story Get time back to focus on priorities Like many public libraries, the Onondaga County Public Library system has had to do more with less. The loss of dedicated cataloging staff, however, coincided with a growing need for important local resources. Access to cooperative cataloging with high match rates helped them bridge that gap. Read Onondaga County Public Library's story Pull your archives out of the basement and share them with the world South Perth Public Library houses an archive of historic local photographs and delicate original art that was nearly inaccessible to the public because of preservation concerns. By digitizing the collection and posting it online, the library has facilitated access and encouraged interest in its community from across the globe. Read South Perth Public Library's story Point patrons in the right direction Today's public libraries provide access to a wider and more complex set of materials than ever before. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library's goal is to help anyone find resources on any topic. The tool they use for shelf classification provides a great way for patrons to browse and uncover resources that they might otherwise have missed. Read Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library's story About About OCLC Leadership Financial Statements and Reports OCLC Technology Contact Us Membership Overview Member benefits Become a member Councils Resources Information for Academic libraries Public libraries Research libraries Special libraries Groups and consortia Partners News and events Highlights News Events Next blog Media kit Sponsorship requests Products WorldShare Management Services WorldShare Metadata Services WorldShare Interlibrary Loan WorldCat Discovery Services OCLC Cataloging Subscription EZproxy Dewey Services ILLiad CONTENTdm All products and services » Visit related sites Support & Training OCLC Research Developer Network WebJunction President's Leadership Blog Careers About Careers View open positions oclc@oclc.org 614-764-6000 800-848-5878 (USA / Canada only) © 2016 OCLC Domestic and international trademarks and/or service marks of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. and its affiliates By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more. Privacy policy ISO 9001 Certificate ISO 27001 Certificate