Searching WorldCat glossary

AACR2: Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition. The national/international standard for cataloging library materials. The rules are "designed for use in the construction of catalogues and other lists in general libraries of all sizes. ^ The rules cover the description of, and the provision of access points for, all library materials commonly collected at the present time." The rules are maintained by the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR and published by the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and the Library Association.
access point: A name, term, code or other indexed characteristic of an authority or bibliographic record that helps make the record searchable and identifiable. For example, titles, names, and subjects are access points.
added entry: A secondary catalog entry (access point). Any entry other than the main entry.
any qualifier: Qualifier used to override default qualifiers. Any is also the default qualifier. If you do not qualify a search, the qualifier is any.
Arabic: See OCLC Arabic Cataloging.
authorization number: Number assigned by OCLC to authorize use of OCLC services. Usually used in conjunction with a password. See also password, default system, default holding library code.

bibliographic information: Details about an item that are sufficient to identify it for the purpose of retrieval are placed in a specific format that describes one item in a collection. Examples: author, title, publisher, publication location, edition, series title, and notes.
bibliographic record: Contains the cataloging information that describes the physical format and intellectual content of a single entity (a book, video, computer file, CD, etc.). Catalogers create records by encoding this information using tags, indicators, and subfield codes in a standard format, MARC 21 (MAchine-Readable Cataloging). Each record is divided into fields (author, title, subjects, etc.) Fields are subdivided into subfields (place of publication, publisher, etc.).
Books format: The OCLC-MARC format used for cataloging books and book-like material. You can qualify searches to limit results to records for books (bks).
Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT. Used to combine search terms. AND finds only records that contain both terms. OR finds records that contain either term. NOT finds records that contain the first term but not the second term.
Boolean logic (search): A system of logical thought developed by English mathematician George Boole (1815-64). A Boolean search combines key concepts or search terms with the logic operators AND, OR and NOT to specify the exact information required in a database search.
bracketed information: Bibliographic information that has been added to bibliographic or authority records by the cataloger. It appears in brackets ([ ]) in records.
brief list: The default display of results from interactive searches using CatME, Arabic, CJK, or from searches using Passport when two to five records are retrieved. Each entry gives a two- to six-line description of a record, containing descriptive fields, OCLC control number and other information.
Browse: Command used to send a title phrase search.

Cataloging source qualifier (so): Qualifier (dlc) used to limit searches to Library of Congress (DLC) records, OCLC-member-input records based on LC cataloging, and records created by cooperative cataloging projects such as the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) or NCCP (National Coordinated Cataloging Program) that conform to Library of Congress cataloging standards. (NCCP is no longer an active project, although records created through this project remain valid records in WorldCat.)
CatExpress/Express: See OCLC CatExpress.
CatME: See OCLC Cataloging Micro Enhancer for Windows software (CatME).
character masking: Entering a question mark (?) or number sign (#) in a search in place of other characters to retrieve multiple words. Example: computer? retrieves records that contain computer, computerization, or computerized.
circumflex: The character (^) entered in certain segments of numeric and derived searches in WorldCat to make searches more precise. Also known as a caret.
CJK: CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) is an acronym used for things related to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters, cataloging and programs associated with CJK. See also OCLC CJK.
CODEN: The Chemical Abstracts Service assigns six-character codes to serials. The first five characters have a mnemonic relationship to the serial. The last character is an alphabetic or numeric check character. For example, AISJB6, CADIDW.
Computer File format: The OCLC-MARC format used for cataloging the following classes of electronic resources: computer software (including programs, games, fonts), numeric data, computer-oriented multimedia, and online systems or services. You can qualify searches to limit results to records for electronic resources (com).
conference name: All or part of the name or title of a conference. A conference name could also be included in a title, abstract, notes, or text of a library resource. Examples: names of meetings, exhibitions, expositions, festivals, athletic contests, scientific expeditions.
Connexion: See OCLC Connexion.
Connexion client: See OCLC Connexion client.
Connexion browser: See OCLC Connexion browser.
corporate name search: A derived corporate name search (=4,3,1) includes corporate and conference names used as main entries or added entries. Keyword searches available for corporate names include conference name (cn), corporate name (co), extended author (ea), extended title (et), and subject/title/contents (st).
CSD: See OCLC Customer Services Division (CSD).

database: A grouping of data for a particular purpose or for the use of a particular set of users, usually organized in fields and providing tools to enable manipulation of the data for sorting, grouping and searching.
database indicator: Acronym that indicates which database you are in. Indicator for WorldCat is OL ; for the Authority File, AF.
default displays: System-determined displays of search results as group, truncated or brief lists or as a full record. The default display type is based on the number of records your search retrieves.
default holding library code: The holding library code that appears automatically in bibliographic field 049 (Local Holdings) when a user displays a bibliographic record. Each authorization number/password combination has a default holding library code. See also authorization number, password.
default qualifiers: Qualifiers that are automatically applied to the search. You must set and activate default qualifiers after you log on. You can set only one of each type of qualifier. Default qualifiers apply to numeric and derived searches only. Note: Default qualifiers cannot be set in Connexion.
default system: The OCLC system you are in when you log on. Each authorization number and password has a default system. See also authorization number, password.
delimiter: Character (‡) used to indicate the beginning of a subfield within a variable field in a MARC bibliographic or authority record. See also subfield.
derived search: A type of WorldCat search that uses a specific number of initial characters from the words in a name and/or title. Enter with or without index labels and use lists to specify qualifiers. The "derived" segments of the words are separated by commas. The number and pattern of letters and commas tells the system which index to search. The four types of derived searches are: Title (3,2,2,1), Personal name (4,3,1); Corporate name (4,3,1); Name/title (4,4).
diacritic: A mark that modifies the phonetic value of another character or characters. It does not occur alone but is used in conjunction with another character. In records each diacritic occupies its own position, directly preceding the modified character.

field: In a record, a marked area in which the same kind of information is consistently entered. Example: MARC field 245 is always the title statement in a record.
filing indicator: In bibliographic records, determines how many initial characters the system omits before indexing the field.
Find: Command used in CatME (Arabic, CJK) and Passport to send a numeric, derived, or keyword search.
forename: A name before a surname; a first name.
Format qualifer (ft): See Type of material (format) qualifier (ft).
full bibliographic record: The complete display, including all fields and subfields, of a bibliographic record on one or more screens.
full stop: In cataloging, a full stop is a period ( . ), colon ( : ), semicolon ( ; ), question mark
( ? ), or exclamation point ( ! ).

government document number: Government-assigned number for materials printed at the expense of and by the authority of any office of the government, for example, United States Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) numbers. Other government numbers may be used such as Canadian government numbers from the Outline of Classification. The form of these numbers varies.
group list: A display of search results retrieved by searching. Each entry represents up to 99 records. Entries are grouped by type of material and years of publication.

Help-Revise-Return screen: The screen that displays if a keyword search retrieves 0 or more than 1,500 records.
hits: The number of times a record or word is found by the system.

index: A detailed alphabetical or numerical list. List entries represent an aspect of a bibliographic record and are organized into searchable files used to retrieve records in a database or set of records.
index label: A two- or three-character code that indicates to the system which index to match a search against.
initial article: Articles (the, an, a, and non-English articles) that are the first word in a title or corporate name.
institution symbol: See OCLC symbol.
International Standard Book Number (ISBN): A unique identification number assigned to a work by its publisher. Each ISBN has ten characters. The tenth character is a check character that may be a number or the letter x. In printed form, the ISBN has three hyphens. Hyphens are omitted in online records.
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): A unique identification number assigned to a serial through the ISSN Network. Each ISSN has eight characters. The eighth character is a check character that may be a number or the letter x. A hyphen follows the fourth character.

keyword: A word in a bibliographic record that is indexed. It often conveys subject content in a search for library resources. Keywords are found in titles, notes, abstracts, summaries, descriptions, and subjects. Keywords are also names of people and places that are the subjects of a library resource or a listing in a directory.
keyword search: A type of search that uses a complete word, usually combined with other keywords.; Each keyword in a search is preceded by an index label and is combined with other keywords using and.
kit: A set of textual and nontextual materials in which no one material dominates and which has a collective title. For example, a workbook that comes with flashcards, worksheets, video recording, gameboard, playing pieces, and dice.

Library of Congress: The research arm of the Congress of the United States. Although not officially a national library, it provides services appropriate to a national library. Its collections comprise the world's most comprehensive record of human creativity and knowledge.
Library of Congress call number: Identification number derived from the U.S. Library of Congress classification system. Used to retrieve a library resource.
Library of Congress Control Number: An accession number assigned by the Library of Congress. The LCCN is usually a two- or four-character number representing the year, followed by a hyphen and up to six numbers. The Library of Congress formerly referred to control numbers as card numbers.

main entry: The entry determined by AACR2 to be the primary access point for the item.
Maps format: OCLC-MARC format used to catalog cartographic material (maps, atlases, globes, digital maps, etc.).; You can qualify searches to limit results to records for these materials (map).
MARC: Machine-Readable Cataloging. An internationally acceptable standard for the exchange of bibliographic data in machine-readable form.
matches: The number of times the system identifies a search term.
meeting name: See conference name.
microform or not microform qualifier: The qualifier used to limit searches to microform or not microform.
Mixed Materials format: OCLC-MARC format used to catalog significant materials in two or more forms that have accumulated by or about a person or body, excluding instructional materials, which are coded as o (Kit). Includes archival fonds and mixed manuscript materials such as text, photographs, and sound recordings. See also kit.; You can qualify searches to limit results to records for these materials (mix).
mnemonic: Relating to or assisting the memory. An aid used in remembering.
multipart surname: Surname that includes prefixes, hyphenated names, or names that begin with articles or prepositions.
music number: Plate and publishers' numbers for printed music (scores); serial and matrix numbers for sound recordings; videorecording numbers for visual materials, and publisher numbers other than those for sound recordings, music, or videorecordings. For example, B 07042 L.

Name/title search: A derived search that combines the following types of information: main entries/uniform titles, main entries/title page titles, added entries/title page titles, and main entries/titles traced differently.
Notes: Supply significant additional information about an item described in a bibliographic record.
numeric search: A type of WorldCat search that allows you to search for records by number, such as ISBN or OCLC control number.

OCLC: Nonprofit membership organization serving libraries around the world to further access to the world's information and reduce library costs by offering services for libraries and their users.
OCLC Arabic Cataloging: Windows-based cataloging software that allows you to catalog Arabic-language materials and include the Arabic script. The software provides cataloging functions similar to those described for CatME.
OCLC Cataloging: OCLC's online shared system for cataloging library materials and producing catalog cards, machine-readable records, and other products. Participating institutions retrieve bibliographic records, modify the information for local use, and then order the modified record from OCLC. Institutions also contribute new records and location information to WorldCat for items for which no record is found.
OCLC Cataloging Micro Enhancer for Windows software (CatME): Windows-based cataloging software that allows you to do online and offline cataloging. You can retrieve records via batch or interactive searching, edit records offline or interactively, and process OCLC transactions in batch mode or take immediate action on records while logged on to the OCLC Cataloging service.
OCLC CatExpress: An OCLC service for copy cataloging. CatExpress users log on from Connexion browser. Connexion users who also subscribe to CatExpress log on to Connexion and access CatExpress from the Express tab.
OCLC CJK: Windows-based cataloging software that lets you catalog Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) materials and include CJK characters. The software provides cataloging functions similar to those of CatME.
OCLC Connexion: OCLC's premier cataloging service providing cataloging functions and access to WorldCat, an online union catalog produced by the cooperative efforts of libraries worldwide. OCLC is developing Connexion as a comprehensive cataloging service that will exceed and include the current functionality of Passport, CatME, Arabic cataloging, and CJK cataloging. See also OCLC Connexion browser; OCLC Connexion client; WorldCat.
OCLC Connexion browser: One of two interfaces to OCLC Connexion cataloging services and products. Introduced in mid-2002, the Connexion Web-browser-based interface provides the same access to cataloging in WorldCat as the Connexion client. The browser interace also provides some unique functions, including Dublin Core record format, WebDewey and Abridged WebDewey, CatExpress, Pathfinders, and Digital Archive.
OCLC Connexion client: A second interface to OCLC Connexion cataloging services and products. Introduced in the second half of 2003, the Windows-based software interface provides the same access as the Connexion browser to cataloging in WorldCat. The client interface also provides some unique functions, including the use of macros, extensive keyboard shortcut customization, and integrated label printing (version 1.00 and higher) and, soon-to-come, local files for offline cataloging (to be added in version 1.20). In later versions, the client will include batch processing of searches and records and use of multiscript data for cataloging in languages other than those based on roman script.
OCLC control number: A unique accession number assigned by the OCLC system when a record is added to WorldCat. Used to search for records.
OCLC Customer Services Division (CSD): OCLC's user assistance and support contact desk that provides support for telecommunications, hardware, and software.
OCLC Interlibrary Loan: An OCLC resource sharing system that makes possible borrowing and lending library materials..
OCLC Online Union Catalog: The former name of WorldCat. See WorldCat.
OCLC Passport for Windows software: A Windows-based terminal emulation program that supports the OCLC Cataloging, Interlibrary Loan and Union List services.
OCLC PromptCat service: An automated copy cataloging service for monographic library materials that allows libraries to receive shelf-ready material from vendors concurrently with bibliographic records from WorldCat.
OCLC Union List: A service for creating, maintaining, and displaying summary holdings information for Union List group members.
OCLC User and Network Support (UNS): See OCLC Customer Services Division (CSD).
OCLC-MARC format: OCLC's implementation of the MARC bibliographic format.

Passport: See OCLC Passport for Windows software.
password: A sequence of characters required to gain access to a computer system. Usually used in conjunction with an authorization number. See also authorization number , default system, default holding library code.
PCC: Program for Cooperative Cataloging. An international cooperative project. PCC includes BIBCO (monographic bibliographic component), CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials Program, the serials bibliographic component), NACO (name authority component), and SACO (subject authority component).
personal name search: A derived personal name search (3,2,2,1) includes personal names used as main entries or added entries for author names. Keyword searches available for personal names include extended author (ea), extended title (et), personal name (pn), and subject/title/contents (st).
publisher: The persons or companies responsible for placing the book on the market. A publisher and printer may be the same person or entity, although in modern publishing this is not usually the case.

qualifier: A means of limiting a search to specific classes of records, for example: type of material (ft), years of publication (yr), microform or not microform (mi), and cataloging source Library of Congress or other (so).
qualifier label: Labels you type in a search to limit the search to specific classes of records.
qualify a search: A technique to make a search more precise. Qualifying searches to limit results to specific classes of materials produces more precise and manageable results.

record type: The format of the item ordered. Record types include Books, Visual Materials, Maps, Scores, Sound Recordings and/or Computer Files.
Revise screen in Passport: Screen that displays if a numeric or derived search is invalid, or if you select from the Help-Revise-Return screen after a keyword search, or if you send the Revise (rvs) command. Searches with incorrect index labels, commands, or other errors are invalid.

A B C D F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

S

Scan

Command used in CatME (Arabic, CJK) and Passport and in Connexion (in the Search tab, Command Line Search) to send a title phrase search.

Scores format

OCLC-MARC format used to catalog musical scores. You can qualify searches to limit results to records for musical scores (sco).

Search History screen

In Passport, screen that displays the results of ten previous searches in WorldCat. The Connexion browser also provides a search history screen. CatME (Arabic, CJK) and the Connexion client provide search history lists of 10 previous searches.

searching

The process of retrieving bibliographic records from a database.

search

Command used in Connexion to send a numeric, derived, or keyword search.

search key in CatME (Arabic, CJK)

A search you type and add to a list for batch searching (available in CatME, Arabic or CJK only).

segment

One part of a derived search. Each segment consists of initial characters in the first two to four words of the bibliographic information you are using to search (excluding initial articles). Each segment of a derived search is followed by a comma. The types of derived searches have distinctive configurations of segments to allow the system to distinguish them. The types of derived searches are title (3,2,2,1), personal name (4,3,1), corporate name (=4,3,1), name/title (4,4). Example: gon,wi,th,w is a derived title search for Gone with the wind.

Select Qualifiers screen

In Passport, screen on which you can view your current default qualifiers and change the default qualifiers. In CatME, CJK and Arabic you view and set default qualifiers from the Search OCLC Online dialog box.

Serials format

OCLC-MARC format used to catalog serials. You can qualify searches to limit results to records for serials (ser).

series

Uniform volumes of a library resource that are related by subject matter, issued successively, and generally by the same publisher in a uniform style.

series title

The collective title of all items in a series, as opposed to each item's individual title.

Example.

Series title. Summer Institute of Linguistics Publications in Linguistics

Title (of individual item in series). Modes in Denya Discourse

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