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WorldCat Help
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Library results / listings
- When I am entering my location to get results for nearby libraries, I notice a dropdown menu with locations is already available. What is this?
- Why does WorldCat say one library is the closest to my location, when another listed library is actually closer?
- The library link I followed did not take me directly to my library's catalog record for the item. Why?
- Why is the list of libraries that have an item different when I use WorldCat.org from my library's Web access?
- My book (video, article, etc.) is cataloged in WorldCat, but the list of libraries that own it is incomplete. Why?
When I am entering my location to get results for nearby libraries, I notice a dropdown menu with locations is already available. What is this?
For our users in the United States, WorldCat.org employs a technology called "IP recognition." For your convenience, the site tries to determine your location based on the unique Internet Protocol address assigned to the network connection or Internet Service Provider you are using. It then automatically presents a list of possible geographic locations based on that address.
If you are using your normal Internet connection from a remote location, such as logging on while on vacation, it is probable that the options generated by IP recognition will not reflect your current location.
Why does WorldCat say one library is the closest to my location, when another listed library is actually closer?
Distances provided in WorldCat library listings are approximate and based on the geographic centers of postal codes. Libraries within your postal code are always listed first.
The library link I followed did not take me directly to my library's catalog record for the item. Why?
A few WorldCat libraries, often small ones with limited technical resources, have not configured their links to go directly to the item's record in their online catalog. The link may direct you to the library's home page or another page, where you can repeat your search in their catalog.
Why is the list of libraries that have an item different when I use WorldCat.org from my library's Web access?
WorldCat member libraries subscribe to this Web site as a premium service so items in their collection can be found on the Web. When you use WorldCat.org from your library's Web access, you are authenticated to view all member libraries near you that own a particular item, regardless of whether the listed libraries have subscribed. When you use WorldCat.org via Web access outside your library—from home or work, for example—only those WorldCat libraries that have subscribed to the WorldCat.org service are displayed.
My book (video, article, etc.) is cataloged in WorldCat, but the list of libraries that own it is incomplete. Why?
WorldCat searches the collections of its member libraries, not those of all libraries worldwide. Libraries that do not participate in WorldCat are not present in WorldCat results.