The Complete 500: OCLC
This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.
About this list
OCLC, 495 Books
This list is from OCLC and is a bit different than most lists on this site. OCLC is a global library organization that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large. This list is based on how many libraries have a copy of a book on their shelves. Here's their own description:
What makes a novel “great”? At OCLC, we believe literary greatness can be measured by how many libraries have a copy on their shelves.
Yes, libraries offer access to trendy and popular books. But, they don’t keep them on the shelf if they’re not repeatedly requested by their communities over the years. We’ve identified 500 timeless, top novels—those found in thousands of libraries around the world—using WorldCat, the world’s largest database of library materials'.
This list was originally published in 2024 and was added to this site about 2 years ago.
| Rank | Book | Authors | Year | Country | Language | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 726 | The Caine Mutiny | Herman Wouk | 1951 | American | English | |
| 1107 | The Heart of the Matter | Graham Greene | 1948 | British | English | |
| 987 | Harriet the Spy | Louise Fitzhugh | 1964 | American | English | |
| 212 | Darkness at Noon | Arthur Koestler | 1940 | British | German | |
| 524 | A Prayer for Owen Meany | John Irving | 1989 | American | English | |
| 359 | The God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy | 1997 | Indian | English | |
| 17119 | The Associate | John Grisham | 2009 | American | English | |
| 8968 | The Shack | William P. Young | 2007 | American | English | |
| 413 | The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer | 1948 | American | English | |
| 14983 | The Sea Of Monsters | Rick Riordan | 2006 | American | English | |
| 368 | Stranger in a Strange Land | Robert A. Heinlein | 1961 | American | English | |
| 17119 | Vision In White | Nora Roberts | 2009 | American | English | |
| 17119 | The Whipping Boy | Sid Fleischman | 1986 | American | English | |
| 2497 | Room | Emma Donoghue | 2010 | Irish | English | |
| 14983 | Deception Point | Dan Brown | 2001 | American | English |