OCLC reviews

2.8

35% would recommend to a friend

(283 total reviews)
avatar

David Prichard

28% approve of CEO

26% positive business outlook

OCLC has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 283 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The OCLC employee rating is 27% below average for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

283 reviews
2.0
Aug 18, 2015

Careerists are running the show

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A few good people left who really want to make a difference. Public purpose is a good one and is a fulfilling mission.

Cons

New management seems to be motivated by stuffing their resumes rather than the long term health of the company. Environment became controlling and fear-based. The best people are being driven out .

2.0
Jul 17, 2025

Don’t believe the hype

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Building is nice. Good benefits. The people are generally nice.

Cons

- Management is incompetent. It’s a boys club of the CEOs buddies. The C-suite would be directors (at best) at any other company. - CEO is a mix between a used car salesman and a bad motivational speaker. He uses company resources ($ and man hours) to promote his “personal brand”. - There are a lot of folks there that stay because they genuinely care about libraries. He exploits this. - You may have seen other reviews say that he publicly mocked survey feedback at town halls. True. He tried to stifle any sort of criticism via public humiliation. - In terms of growth, you will likely find yourself taking on more and more responsibilities, absorbing roles of folks as they leave. You will never see a dime for this, let alone any sort of title change or promotion. If you’re looking to grow a career, this is not the place for you. If you’re looking to ride out the rest of your career with mediocre pay, decent benefits and terrible leadership, this is the place! You might even be management material.

2.0
Jun 15, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pros: The mission of OCLC is noble and essential for the library and information science community. Many dedicated and talented colleagues who are passionate about their work.

Cons

ons: Narcissistic Leadership: The current CEO, Skip Prichard, exhibits a narcissistic and cronyism style of leadership. He brings the same group of people with him to every organization he runs, favoring those who share his particular brand of religion. Egotistical Behavior: Prichard has no compunction about using the organization as a platform for his personal agenda, often overshadowing the core mission of OCLC. Cronyism: Favoritism is rampant, and it is evident that promotions and key positions are often awarded based on personal loyalty rather than merit or qualifications. Organizational Decline: OCLC itself is a slow-moving, difficult-to-navigate monolith that is rapidly losing touch with the needs and expectations of the community it is meant to serve. Lack of Innovation: The organization is struggling to keep up with industry changes and technological advancements, which hinders its ability to effectively support its members.

Viewing 19 - 21 of 283 Reviews

Glassdoor has 333 OCLC reviews submitted anonymously by OCLC employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if OCLC is right for you.