OCLC prints last library catalog cards
DUBLIN, Ohio, October 1, 2015—OCLC printed its last library catalog cards today, officially closing the book on what was once a familiar resource for generations of information seekers who now use computer catalogs and online search engines to access library collections around the world.
This final print run marked the end of a service that has steadily decreased over the past few decades as libraries have moved their catalogs online.
"Print library catalogs served a useful purpose for more than 100 years, making resources easy to find within the walls of the physical library," said Skip Prichard, OCLC President and CEO. "Today, libraries are taking their collections to their users electronically, wherever they may be. Collections are searchable online, and through popular search engines. Thousands of libraries are globally interconnected through high-speed networks, and in many cases their digitized collections are available and accessible to readers and researchers from anywhere in the world."
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