OCLC, a Dublin-based nonprofit that partners with thousands of libraries around the world, is laying off about 80 workers in central Ohio amid uncertain federal funding and a shifting artificial intelligence landscape.
The company is recruiting for other positions, which would bring the net job reduction to about 50 employees, OCLC spokesperson Bob Murphy said in an email to The Dispatch. However, Murphy said OCLC does not have a timeline for hiring most of those additional workers.
OCLC maintains WorldCat, a global catalog of more than 2.7 billion library materials, provides online software for libraries — including catalogs — and publishes the Dewey Decimal System. The nonprofit employs more than 1,300 people around the world, including more than 800 in central Ohio, Murphy said.
“These are always difficult decisions, and we provide transition support to people who are affected,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the layoffs are not limited to specific departments. He did not answer whether the 30 new jobs would also be in central Ohio. All but one of OCLC’s seven active job listings on July 23 are for hybrid jobs based in Dublin, with one posted for either Dublin or Seattle.
He said the layoffs are partially because of “uncertainty in federal funding” and shifting technology needs as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent.
In recent months, President Donald Trump’s administration has been working to dissolve the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which distributes millions of dollars to cultural institutions around the country.
Museums and libraries in Ohio have received $7 million annually from IMLS that supports the statewide ebook and audiobook system, summer reading programs and materials for blind people. That funding also provides competitive grants for libraries.
“OCLC is strong financially and makes decisions based on the longer-term implications of the current environment,” Murphy said.
This story has been updated with new information about OCLC’s timeline for filling new jobs.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers the western suburbs for the Columbus Dispatch. She can be reached at awinfrey@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin-based library nonprofit laying off 80 amid fears of federal cuts, AI uncertainty
Reporting by Anna Lynn Winfrey, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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