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Lists











What are lists?

Lists are a way for you to group library-owned items you have found while using WorldCat. Lists let you keep track of items of interest and refer back to them whenever you want to. You can share your lists with friends and colleagues, too.

Here are some ideas for lists you might want to build:

  • Movies I want to check out
  • Books I recommend
  • Preliminary sources to review
  • Secondary research sources
  • Cited sources
  • Books to read to my child
  • Living room decorating ideas
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Do I need to create an account on WorldCat.org to use lists?

Yes. Creating an account is free and fast: You only need to provide an e-mail address, a unique user name and a password to get started with lists.

Create an account now >>

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How do I create a list?

There are two ways to create a list within WorldCat.org. You can search WorldCat.org and select items from the search results; or you can create your new list, and then search for items to add to it.

To create a list from WorldCat search results:

  1. Click the checkbox next to one or more items in your results
  2. At the top of the results display, select "New List..." from the "Save to:" menu and click the "Save" button
  3. Give your list a unique name (up to 75 characters)
  4. Choose whether you want the list to be public (viewable by other WorldCat users) or private (viewable only by you)
  5. Click the "Create New List" button
  6. Give your new list a description, and add notes to individual list items, if desired

To create a list first and then add items:

  1. Select "Create New List" from the "Lists" menu on the WorldCat menu bar near the top of the page
  2. Give your list a unique name (up to 75 characters)
  3. Choose whether you want the list to be public (viewable by other WorldCat users) or private (viewable only by you)
  4. Click the "Create New List" button
  5. Search WorldCat using the "Search for Items to Add" box
  6. Click the checkbox next to one or more items in your search results that you want to add to the list
  7. At the top of the results display, select your list's name from the "Save to:" menu and click the "Save" button
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Can I create multiple lists?

Yes. There is no limit to the number of lists you can create and manage.

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How many items can I keep on one list?

You can have up to 250 library items on a list. Keep in mind that you can create as many lists as you need.

After you have added 250 items to a list, any additional items you try to add will not appear on the list. You can delete items to make room, move some items to another list you've created, or start a new list.

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Can other people see or find my lists?

Yes, if your list's privacy setting is set to "Viewable by Anyone (Public)." A public list can be found by WorldCat users performing a search with the "Search for Lists" feature. It can also be viewed by your friends when you send them a list invitation from the "Share" link near the top of your list.

If you do not want your list to be found by others, you must set its privacy setting to "Viewable Only by Me (Private)." Note that when a list is private, you are not be able to invite friends to view it.

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How can I make a list private?

Lists are public by default, but you can change the privacy setting when a list is created or at any time thereafter. Each of your lists can have a different privacy setting.

To make a list private when you first create it, select "Viewable Only By Me (Private)" under Privacy Settings.

To make an existing list private, view the list and click the "Settings" link near the top of the page. Change the Privacy Setting to "Viewable Only By Me (Private)."

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How can I see all of my lists?

To view all of your lists, make sure you are signed in, and then:

  • Click the "Lists" menu on the WorldCat menu bar near the top of the page; or
  • Click "My Lists" on the same "Lists" menu

Links to all of the lists you have created will be displayed.

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How do I rename a list?

To rename a list you have already created:

  1. Click the "Lists" menu on the WorldCat menu bar near the top of the page
  2. View the list you want to change by clicking on the list name in "Lists I Created"
  3. In the Details and Notes View, click the "Settings" link near the top of the page
  4. Change the name under "List Name"
  5. If desired, check the List Privacy setting
  6. Click the Save List Settings button
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How do I delete a list?

You can delete an entire list, but remember that deletion is permanent and that the items and your notes cannot be retrieved after you have deleted the list.

To delete a list:

  1. Click the "Lists" menu on the WorldCat menu bar near the top of the page
  2. View the list you want to delete by clicking on the list name in "Lists I Created"
  3. In the Details and Notes View, click the "Delete" link near the top of the page
  4. Confirm deletion by clicking the "Yes, Delete" button
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Can I copy an item from one list to another?

Yes. The item will be remain on the first list and be added to a second list. To copy an item:

  1. View the list that currently contains the item
  2. In the Details and Notes View, mark the checkbox next to the item (and any others) you wish to copy to another list
  3. Click the "Copy" button near the top of the list
  4. On the resulting "Selected items" page, choose a destination list from the dropdown menu next to the label "Copy selected items to...", then click the "Copy" button
  5. The list receiving the copied item is displayed as a confirmation
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Can I move an item from one list to another?

Yes. The item will be removed from the first list and moved to a second list. To move an item:

  1. View the list that currently contains the item
  2. In the Details and Notes View, mark the checkbox next to the item (and any others) you wish to move to another list
  3. Click the "Move" button near the top of the list
  4. On the resulting "Selected items" page, choose a destination list from the dropdown menu next to the label "Move selected items from...", then click the "Move" button
  5. The list receiving the moved item is displayed as a confirmation
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How do I delete one or more items from a list?

Remember that any notes you have attached to the list item(s) will be lost after you have deleted the item(s).

To delete one or more items from a list:

  1. View the list
  2. In the Details and Notes View, mark the checkbox next to one or more items you wish to delete
  3. Click the "Delete" button near the top of the list
  4. On the resulting "Selected items" page, confirm the deletion by clicking the "Yes, Delete" button
  5. The list from which the items were deleted is displayed as a confirmation
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Can I save my list to my computer?

Yes. WorldCat lists can be saved to your computer in CSV (comma-delimited) format, which is easily imported into most spreadsheet or database programs.

To save a list to your computer:

  1. View the list you wish to save
  2. In the Details and Notes View, click the "Export to CSV" link near the top of the list
  3. From the dialog box launched by your PC, select the destination folder for the CSV file, and adjust the file name if desired

The resulting CSV file will include basic information about each library item on your list (such as title, author and publisher) as well as the date you added the item to your list and any notes you have entered.

You can also export your list as bibliographic citations.

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Can I see my entire list on one screen?

Yes. To view a complete list on one screen, select the "Print" link near the top of the list in the Details and Notes View. Your Web browser will launch a pop-up window that displays all items in your list.

Your list will be displayed in the order defined by the current selection in the list's "Sort by" dropdown menu. (The "Sort by" menu is located on the right-hand side of the page at the top of the list.)

You can send the page to a printer, or cancel your PC's print dialog to view it.

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Can I change how the items in my list are ordered?

Yes. By default, the items within your list are sorted alphabetically by author. To change the default view, select one of the following from the "Sort by" dropdown menu, located on the right-hand side of the page at the top of the list:

  • Author
  • Title
  • Date published (increasing or decreasing)
  • Date added to list (increasing or decreasing)

Your list will be reordered according to your selection.

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Can I print my list in a simplified layout?

Yes. Make sure the "Details and Notes View" tab is selected, and that the desired sort method is currently applied to your list. Click the "Print" link at the top of your list. A new pop-up window will appear displaying your complete list in simplified form. (If the window does not open, make sure it is not being blocked by your browser or toolbar software.) Any notes you have added for list items, as well as the date each item was added to your list, will also be displayed. Depending on where you are using WorldCat.org, a print dialog for your PC or workstation may also appear simultaneously.

You can also print your list as bibliographic citations by clicking the "Citations View" tab, selecting the desired citation style and sort method, then clicking the "Print" link at the top of your list.

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What is the "My Note" section?

The "My Note" text box is available for each item on your list in the Details and Notes View. It lets you write a brief (up to 255 characters) note about the item. You can use this note for many purposes:

  • On a private list, you might use it to help you remember why you've included the item in your list
  • On a public list, you might use it to briefly describe why another person should read, view or listen to that item

To add a note for an item, click the "Edit Note" button associated with that item; the "My Note" text box will appear. Type in your note and click the "Save Note" button immediately beneath it.

Remember that notes you save on your public list can be read by anyone who views the list.

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Can I edit any list note ("My Note") after I've written it?

Yes. You can edit notes for each item on your list at any time. To edit a list note:

  1. View the list
  2. In the Details and Notes View, locate the list item
  3. Click the "Edit Note" button associated with that item
  4. Edit the note within the "My Note" text box
  5. Click the "Save Note" button for that list item
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Are list notes ("My Notes") viewable by other people?

Yes, if the list's privacy setting is set to "Viewable by Anyone (Public)". Any notes you have made for the items on a public list can be seen by anyone who views your list.

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Can I search for and view other people's lists?

Yes, you can search for any list that has its privacy setting set to "Viewable by Anyone (Public)". Click "Search" on the WorldCat menu bar and select "Search for Lists." Your search will match your search terms to words in the names and descriptions of all public lists.

You may also receive invitations from other WorldCat users who would like you to view their public list.

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How can I share my list with other people?

You can send invitations from WorldCat to friends and colleagues who might be interested in viewing your list. Invitations can be sent to anyone regardless of whether they maintain a WorldCat account.

To invite a friend to view your list:

  1. View the list you wish to share
  2. In the Details and Notes View, click the "Share" link near the top of the list
  3. Enter a name and e-mail address for up to five friends in the left column
  4. Enter your name, if it does not already appear, in the "Your Name" box in the right column
  5. Edit the suggested message, if desired
  6. Click the "Send Invitation" button
  7. A confirmation page confirms that the message was sent

The invitation will be sent from the e-mail address you have provided in your profile.

Remember that your list must be publicly viewable before you are able to send an invitation. If your list is private, you will need to change its privacy setting in order to share the list. (To change the privacy setting, view the list and click the "Settings" link near the top of the page. Scroll down to "List Privacy" and click "Viewable by Anyone (Public)," then the "Save List Settings" button.)

If you want to share a list but have certain items you wish to keep private, you can copy the sharable items to a new list.

Your list can also be shared with other people by adding it to your social bookmarks at Web sites such as Digg and Del.icio.us using the AddThis.com Bookmark button at the top of your list.

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Can I share my list with people who are not WorldCat users?

Yes. You can send invitations from WorldCat to any friends or colleagues who might be interested in viewing your list. Invitations can be sent to anyone with an e-mail address regardless of whether they maintain a WorldCat account.

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Can I get bibliographic citations for the items on my list?

Yes. You can view and print citations in five common styles with the "Citations View" of your list. You can also export a list as citations to HTML, Rich Text or RIS formats, or directly to the RefWorks Web research service or Endnote bibliographic software.

See the Citations Help page for more information.

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What is the "RSS Feed" button shown at the top of my list?

The RSS Feed button lets you subscribe to any public WorldCat list as an RSS feed and monitor changes to it using any RSS-capable Web site or software application. The button is supplied by AddThis.com.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an information format used by news-media sites, blogs and other Web services that are frequently updated. RSS feeds typically carry brief summaries of the information currently available at a specific Web location, so you can see what's new without having to view the site in a browser.

To subscribe to a WorldCat list as RSS, select the list's Details and Notes View and click the RSS Feed button at the top of the page. You'll see the AddThis "Subscribe to Feed" page, which links you to a variety of free Web services that can monitor RSS feeds, including personalized home pages at Google and Yahoo!. Select one of the displayed services, then either sign in to the service or create a new user account.

If you are using a Web browser with built-in RSS capabilities (such as Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Opera or Safari), click the "View XML" link on the AddThis subscribe page to monitor the feed from your browser. If you use other RSS-capable software, simply right-click "View XML" and copy the link location into the program's facility for adding feeds.

Note that your private WorldCat lists cannot be monitored as RSS feeds. Although the RSS Feed button is displayed when you view your private list, other WorldCat users cannot see your list and no information can be obtained through the feed.

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What is the "Bookmark" button shown at the top of my list?

The Bookmark button lets you add any public WorldCat list to popular social bookmarking services at Web sites such as Digg, Del.icio.us, Facebook, Yahoo and Google. The button is supplied by AddThis.com.

Social bookmarking works just like your browser's Favorites menu, except that your bookmarked Web pages are publicly available for sharing, searching, categorization, tracking and discussion. (Functionality varies by site.)

To add a WorldCat list to your social bookmarks, select the list's Details and Notes View and hover your mouse pointer over the Bookmark button at the top of the page. A mouseover window with links to 11 of the most popular Web bookmarking services will appear. Click one, or select More to view the full list of services. A pop-up window will appear and display the account login and/or creation page for your selected service. (If a new window does not open, make sure it is not being blocked by your browser or toolbar software.) Log in or create an account and add the WorldCat list to your bookmarks, then close the window.

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