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MINITEX/OCLC Membership Description
Membership in OCLC depends on the products and services that are used. Most
libraries "join" OCLC through their regional network. MINITEX serves as the
regional network for libraries in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
The various networks in the U.S. have different histories and structures. For
some, their main and only mission is OCLC support.
MINITEX was established in the early 1970s for the primary purpose of resource
sharing. The affiliation with OCLC came later and therefore the OCLC Unit is
only one of several MINITEX programs and exists because it undergirds the
mission of resource sharing.
There is a difference between being a participant in MINITEX and being a member
of OCLC. One can belong to either or both and the criteria are different.
As of July 1, 2007, MINITEX has 193 Governing OCLC members, 240 CatExpress
subscribers and three OCLC Library School Program participants.