Entry Filed under: Cataloging, Collections, OCLC News, Partnerships & Projects, Reference, Resource Sharing
WorldCat is enriched by the contribution of national library catalogs from more than 30 countries. Three new pages on the OCLC Web site—including a timeline and map—highlight national library participation in the OCLC global cooperative.
The OCLC cooperative has a long tradition of working with national libraries around the world to facilitate shared cataloging, record exchange, digitization, resource sharing and document delivery.
Since 1975, 34 national libraries have added digital images, national files and bibliographies to WorldCat by both batchloading and online contribution, exposing the richness of their collections to the worldwide library community.
Today, WorldCat contains 76.2 million holdings from non-U.S. national libraries all over the world. In addition, OCLC plans to load more than 250 million records from national libraries and major institutions into WorldCat in the coming year.
View National Library pages.
August 26th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: Collections, Reference, Resource Sharing
New service is a cooperative effort to gather copyright status information in one union catalog
The process to determine copyright status of a book can be lengthy and labor-intensive. The goal of the WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry is to encourage a cooperative environment for librarians and others to discover, create and share copyright evidence through a collaboratively created and maintained database, using the WorldCat cooperative model to eliminate duplicate effort. Users can search the Copyright Evidence Registry to find information about a book, learn what others have said about its copyright status, and share what they know.
The Copyright Evidence Registry six-month pilot was launched July 1 to test the concept and functionality. During a later stage of the pilot, OCLC will add a feature enabling pilot libraries to create and run automated copyright rules conforming to standards they define for determining copyright status. The rules will help libraries analyze the information available in the Copyright Evidence Registry and form their own conclusions about copyright status.
View news release.
Provide feedback.
August 26th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: OCLC News, Reference
Increase the number of links coming into your library catalog! The WorldCat Search API gives your developers access to WorldCat bibliographic records and holdings information, as well as the FRBR concepts that pull together various editions of the same work.
With the WorldCat API, you can:
Query the WorldCat database, containing more than 100 million bibliographic records contributed by librarians and other information professionals at thousands of WorldCat member libraries worldwide; and
retrieve a geographically sorted list of WorldCat libraries that own a specific item. Each library listing includes the institution name, location and the URL of the library’s Web catalog record for that item.
Free access to the WorldCat Search API is available to all OCLC governing member libraries—institutions that contribute all current cataloging and holdings to WorldCat—plus CBS partners and libraries that catalog in the Dutch GGC (Gemeenschappelijk Catalogiseersysteem) via their memberships. Other organizations that are interested in using the API in partnership with OCLC should contact OCLC for additional information.
View WorldCat API Web page.
August 26th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: OCLC News
2009 Fellows are from Armenia, Kenya, Pakistan, Serbia, Uganda and Zambia
OCLC, along with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the American Theological Library Association, have named librarians chosen to participate in the Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program for 2009.
The 2009 Jordan IFLA/OCLC Fellows were named by Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO, at a news conference during the IFLA World Library and Information Congress: 74th IFLA General Conference and Council in Québec, Canada. The 2009 Jordan IFLA/OCLC Fellows are:
* John Kiyaga, Library Assistant, Uganda Christian University, Mukono, Uganda
* Ani Minasyan, Circulation/Reference Librarian, American University of Armenia, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
* Caleb Ouma, Librarian, Nation Media Group, Nairobi, Kenya
* Saima Qutab, Librarian, Directorate General Mines & Minerals, Lahore, Pakistan
* Raymond Sikanyika, Senior Library Assistant, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
* Vesna Vuksan, Head, Library Development, Belgrade City Library, Belgrade, Serbia
View news release.
Fellowship Program Web page.
August 26th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: OCLC News, Partnerships & Projects
Site launches with 15 state libraries to deliver new ways to connect, create and learn
WebJunction, the online learning community for librarians and library staff, has launched a new social and learning experience in close collaboration with partners in 15 state libraries. The new site builds on the deep repository of helpful content, relevant courses and active discussions that have been the hallmark of WebJunction since 2003.
The new capabilities make it easier for librarians and staff to:
Connect with friends, peers and colleagues from across the library community using powerful new social tools such as friends, public profiles, groups, discussions, tagging and recommendations;
Create their own content, conversations and spontaneous communities with fast, fun and easy-to-use tools;
Learn the skills they need to thrive in their careers with new and more flexible online courses covering general business, technical and library skills, complimented by powerful social and learning management tools that add depth to the experience.
Originally launched in 2003 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC and partners from across the library community, WebJunction has grown to over 30,000 registered members, delivered thousands of courses and become a vibrant partner and community.
View news release.
View new site.
August 26th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: Cataloging, OCLC News, Reference
Register for OCLC events by August 4.
Attention IFLA attendees!
Put OCLC on your schedule for the IFLA Conference August 10–14 in Québec, Canada to learn how OCLC services can provide value for your library and enhance worldwide library cooperation.
Register online to attend meetings that interest you, including:
Virtual Reference Around the World: Roundtable
Tuesday, 12 August, 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Join virtual reference colleagues from around the world for an informal discussion of virtual reference trends, ideas and opportunities. Attendees will continue the discussion from previous IFLA conferences about experiences in global virtual reference.
Global Virtual Reference Service with QuestionPoint
Tuesday, 12 August, 3:15–4:00 p.m.
Speaker: Susan McGlamery, OCLC Global Product Manager for QuestionPoint
OCLC Data Resources and How Library Systems Can Benefit from OCLC Machine Interfaces
Wednesday, 13 August, 12:15–1:00 p.m.
Speakers: Janifer Gatenby, OCLC Grid Services, and Joanna White, OCLC Registries
Industry Symposium: The New World of Metadata
Wednesday, 13 August, 4–6 p.m.
Speakers: Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO, and Karen Calhoun, OCLC Vice President, WorldCat and Metadata Services
Register online.
July 30th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: Cataloging, Collections, Digitization
OCLC is now offering the Web Harvester, a new product that allows libraries and other cultural heritage institutions to capture and add Web content to their digital collections managed by CONTENTdm software. OCLC’s Web Harvester addresses the need to store and provide access to otherwise highly transient information resources that solely exist on Web sites.
OCLC’s Web Harvester evolved from collaboration with several state libraries, state archives and universities over a period of seven years. Participants emphasized the increasing importance of collecting and managing Web-based content as information resources move online, yet remain within libraries’ and archives’ collection scopes.
The Web Harvester is integrated into library workflows, allowing library staff to capture content as part of the cataloging process. The captured content is then sent to the organization’s digital collections where it can be managed with other CONTENTdm digital content.
Once harvested items are added to CONTENTdm using the Web Harvester, they are discoverable from WorldCat.org, as well as WorldCat Local and the CONTENTdm Web interface.
View news release.
View product page.
July 30th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: Cataloging, Collections, OCLC News, Partnerships & Projects
OCLC has begun adding files of records for Chinese language materials from the China National Publishing Industry Trading Corporation (CNPITC). Founded in October 1980, CNPITC is one of China’s largest foreign trade enterprises in the national press and publishing industry. Its business covers the import and export of books, periodicals, newspapers, audio-visuals, electronic publications, and cultural products, among other things and is a leading supplier of Chinese publications to libraries worldwide. With main offices in Beijing, CNPITC also has branches in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. In June 2002, CNPITC became the first ISO9001-2000 certified corporation within the Chinese press and publishing industry.
When a CNPITC record (OCLC symbol CNPIT) is added or matched to WorldCat, a 938 field is added to the MARC record that contains the vendor code CNPI. This code is indexed; vendor records are searchable in Connexion using the vendor index (Vendor (vn:) in the dropdown menu). Some examples of the records added to WorldCat from CNPITC are OCLC numbers: #233689268, # 233689410. Examples of records matched are: # 62335322, # 70139368
The records do contain Chinese characters, but are considered to be cataloged in English. No 040 subfield b is present, indicating English language cataloging. English language libraries may upgrade these records and add English language notes as they wish. There are 520 notes present that only contain Chinese characters, since CNPITC was not able to supply English summaries. This may be confusing, as it may appear that these records are hybrids of Chinese and English. However, the decision was made to retain these notes rather than to delete them, as they may provide a service to some using WorldCat.
Information about CNPITC.
List of all partners contributing records through the Vendor Record Contribution Program.
July 29th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: Cataloging, OCLC News
Earlier this year, OCLC announced a pilot project to explore upstream metadata capture and metadata enhancement using publisher and vendor ONIX (Online Information Exchange) metadata. Here’s an overview of how the pilot is progressing and the next steps.
Between January and June 2008, OCLC:
enhanced the OCLC ONIX to MARC crosswalk.
created the OCLC MARC to ONIX crosswalk.
defined rules and hierarchies for mining existing WorldCat records to enhance ONIX metadata and to enhance or create records in WorldCat.
developed software to perform creation and enhancement activities.
began receiving ONIX metadata from publisher and vendor pilot partners.
developed evaluative tools and case study templates for reporting on pilot results.
began to collect statistical information on metadata received and enhanced.
continued to refine crosswalks, rules for enhancement and software based on live data.
began defining mapping between DDC and publisher BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) subject headings.
Results thus far provide proof of concept that metadata can be created and enhanced through these processes.
Three pilot partners submitting approximately 1,000 ONIX records each:
Total records processed: 2,935
Total records matched in WorldCat: 2,724
Total records with no exact match: 211
Total records enhanced: 2,706
One pilot partner submitting a larger data set:
Total records processed: 7,649
Total records matched in WorldCat: 6,584
Total records with no exact match: 1,065
Total records enhanced: 6,565
During July and August, OCLC will wrap up the pilot and provide final statistics, pilot partner evaluations, case studies and recommendations for moving forward to library and publisher supply chain communities. OCLC welcomes input from both communities on new ways to think about cataloging and metadata creation in support of both library and publishing needs.
Pilot overview.
ALA Annual presentation.
July 16th, 2008
Aaron Smith
Entry Filed under: MLC News, OCLC News
OCLC was awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to explore attitudes and perceptions about library funding and to evaluate the potential of a large-scale marketing and advocacy campaign to increase public library funding in the U.S. The findings of this research are now available in the latest OCLC report, From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America.
Among the findings from the report:
Library funding support is only marginally related to library visitation.
Perceptions of librarians are an important predictor of library funding support.
Voters who see the library as a “transformational” force as opposed to an “information” source are more likely to increase taxes in its support.
The report suggests that targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving increased support for U.S. public libraries.
Purchase a print copy of the report or download a free electronic version at the OCLC Web site.
July 16th, 2008
Aaron Smith
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