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WorldCat Search API at a glance

The WorldCat Search API provides machine-to-machine access to WorldCat bibliographic records and holdings organized to group similar editions of the same item together.  The holdings information provided includes links directly to cataloging libraries’ OPACs, resulting in the seamless delivery of WorldCat information through library Web sites.

Benefits

  • The API will increase the number of links to library catalogs and enable participants to deliver WorldCat access to users without requiring them to leave a library’s Web site.
  • Use of the API by developers within the OCLC membership is expected to result in development of new WorldCat-related applications.

Features

  • Searches the WorldCat database of over 100 million bibliographic records contributed by library staff worldwide.
  • Compatible with searches sent in OpenSearch or SRU CQL syntax:
    • OpenSearch responses are available in RSS or Atom format
    • SRU responses are available in MARC XML or Dublin Core
  • Provides a geographically sorted list of libraries that own each item in WorldCat, with library information that includes the institution name, location and a library catalog link.
  • Provides the ability to limit results to items held by a single library or group of libraries.
  • More detailed developer-level information is on the Developer Network site.

Requirements

The WorldCat Search API provides access to the WorldCat databases from clients that can send RESTful URI queries with either the OpenSearch or SRU protocols and can accept RSS, Atom, MARC XML or Dublin Core® responses.

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