Illinois State Library

HISTORY

ILLINET stands for Illinois Library Information Network; OCLC stands for Online Computer Library Center. Together, the two have created a link to better serve libraries in Illinois.

OCLC is a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Dublin, Ohio and is the producer of the OCLC WorldCat database, the world's largest and most comprehensive electronic database of bibliographic information. An experiment in 1975, beginning with the placement of OCLC terminals at key research and reference centers, showed positive results and justified expansion of OCLC to libraries throughout the state. In 1977, the Illinois State Library received a Library Services and Construction Act grant to incorporate OCLC into the State Library organizational structure, resulting in the establishment of ILLINET/OCLC Services. Today, funding and administration of the program is included as part of the annual budget of the State Library.