Stop the OCLC powergrab!

OCLC, the not-for-profit that provides library services around the world, has gone too far. Originally, it was a library collaborative -- one library could catalog a book, upload it to OCLC, and then other libraries could save time by reusing the catalog information. But as the price of such technology has fallen, its prices have risen. It charges membership fees, record retrieval fees, user support fees, and fees for all sorts of additional services. But now it's gone a step too far -- it wants to set the terms of use for every library record ever retrieved through OCLC, so that it can maintain its monopoly in the field. In a very real sense, they're trying to steal our libraries. We have to make them stop -- sign this petition.

For more information, see this wiki page: OCLC Policy Change.

Dear OCLC:

We the undersigned ask that you repeal your recent changes to the "Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records" and once again allow any nonprofit or library to have unrestricted access to all WorldCat records. These records are not yours, they are the collected work product of thousands of libraries, summarizing the accumulated knowledge of all of humanity. They shouldn't be in the exclusive control of one organization.