The OCLC Global Council met in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss the opportunities and challenges libraries face in an increasingly global environment and the importance of international cooperation. The Council elected leaders for next year, elected a new trustee, and announced results from regional council elections. It also accepted a report and recommendations by the Global Advisory Group on Credits and Incentives.
It was the first OCLC Global Council meeting to take place outside the US or Canada. Forty-two Council delegates and four alternates from 16 countries and territories participated in the meeting under the direction of OCLC Global Council President ChewLeng Beh, Senior Director, Library & Professional Services and Director of SILAS, National Library Board, Singapore.
Council delegates elected Berndt Dugall, Director/Librarian at Universität Frankfurt's Universitätsbibliothek Johann Senckenberg (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) to the OCLC Board of Trustees. Dugall has served the OCLC membership since 2005 in various Council roles, most recently as Vice President (2010–2011), then as President (2011–2012). His term on the Board will begin in November, replacing Kathleen Imhoff, Library Consultant. In November, 10 of the 16 Trustees serving on the Board will be librarians.
Barbara Preece, Director, Loyola/Notre Dame Library (Baltimore, Maryland, USA), was elected Vice President/President-Elect of the OCLC Global Council. Her one-year term as Vice President will begin July 1, 2013, and her one-year term as President will begin July 1, 2014.
Anne Prestamo, Claud D. Kniffin Professor of Library Service and Education and Associate Dean for Collection and Technology Services, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA), will begin her term as Global Council President July 1, 2013.
The Global Council accepted a report and recommendations by the Global Advisory Group on Credits and Incentives. Following 18 months of analysis and discussion with members, the report recommends that the Cooperative gradually phase out the Financial Credits Programme through June 2016. The report recognises the important role that the Financial Credits Programme has played in the Cooperative.
The report calls for the continued promotion and celebration of member contribution and sharing, and the need to ensure that the phase-out of the programme minimises any financial impact to members currently participating in the Financial Credits Programme. While the current programme is being phased out, the Advisory Group report said that the Cooperative should support development of new mechanisms that celebrated and encouraged member cooperation and sharing in support of its common purpose of furthering access to the world's information.
The recommendation goes to the OCLC Board of Trustees and OCLC management for consideration.
OCLC's three Regional Councils - Americas Regional Council (ARC), Europe, Middle East and Africa Regional Council (EMEARC) and Asia Pacific Regional Council (APRC) - has concluded elections and announced results during the meeting.
