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WorldCat Local : At a glance

WorldCat® Local at a glance

WorldCat Local is a unique service that works in conjunction with WorldCat.org and provides Web access to WorldCat—the world's richest database for discovery of materials held in libraries.

Benefits

  • Information seekers use a single interface—they don’t need to jump between multiple systems to search different kinds of materials from familiar content providers.
  • Fast, seamless access to the most appropriate delivery options means users link directly to electronic content, circulation activities and resource sharing without having to know your library’s workflows.
  • Simple, network-level implementation means no local installation of hardware or software.
  • WorldCat Local integrates with your current ILS and other infrastructure.
  • Your library users see the easiest-to-get items first, and have access to WorldCat libraries worldwide.
  • Deliver your library’s resources at the point of need. Your locally-branded search box can be placed on any Web page or Web-enabled workspaces, such as eLearning courses or Web sites of faculty or community organizations.
  • Meet users’ Web-influenced expectations with simple keyword search.
  • Social Web tools such as user-contributed lists, reviews and ratings are at a global level, in addition to local and regional interaction.
  • Increased Web visibility for your library because users can reach your library from Google, Yahoo! and other partner Web sites via the WorldCat.org platform.

Features

  • Configurable options for interface, systems and content (see below)
  • Single search box
  • Faceted-browse search refinement
  • Metasearch option simplifies access to physical, electronic and digital library resources through a single search with integrated, relevancy-ranked search results.
  • Unified record display of descriptive information, shelf locations/status and fulfillment options
  • Six interface languages (Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish)
  • User contribution of reviews, ratings and lists.
  • Trial evaluative content from Syndetic Solutions through June 30, 2010
  • Syndication of your holdings data to major Web search engines
  • Open-technology platform that enables Web-service querying of your data via distributed software and code
  • Ongoing enhancements. OCLC adds features regularly and continues to modify the interface to address user preferences identified in usability testing.

Configurability

  • Interoperation with ILS and resource sharing services
  • Branding elements such as logo, colors and custom WorldCat.org URL
  • Navigation links to local services such as OpenURL resolver and virtual reference
  • Factors influencing relevance ranking
  • Local and remote sources of full text, electronic content and digital objects included in search results

WorldCat Local "quick start"

Libraries that keep their holdings in the WorldCat database and subscribe to WorldCat on FirstSearch can enjoy many of the same features and functionality found in WorldCat Local in WorldCat Local "quick start" at no additional cost. WorldCat Local "quick start" delivers local and global resources in a single search. Features include:

  • The library's brand in the URL, search box and user interface
  • Local library resources displayed first in search results
  • Interoperability with a single supported ILS
  • Single-search discovery of materials in a library’s catalog along with licensed electronic resources from OCLC.
  • Smart integration with a  library's existing delivery services
  • Access to the same social networking tools available on WorldCat.org
  • Article-level records from well-known databases with links to full text where available