FirstSearch delivers more effective research for users and better workflows and outcomes across all areas of your library, especially in reference, interlibrary loan, collection development, and cataloging. With the features and dependability you need to conduct quick and productive searches—for known items or specific subjects—no matter your experience level, FirstSearch puts you in the driver’s seat.
With FirstSearch, you can:
Construct simple or complex searches to find exactly what you need
Quickly zero in on just what you need with flexible search options. When precision is important, search specific indexes and limit results by date, language, audience, owning library, and more for fast, accurate results.
Enable ILL requests from search results
Let people easily request items not available in your library with links to your customized interlibrary loan request form directly from their search results. The form automatically populates with citation information, so there’s no need to decipher handwriting or to correct the request. Making ILL requests easy saves staff time and helps you deliver the resources your users need.
Search in the language you prefer
FirstSearch supports searching in eight interface languages: Arabic, Chinese (traditional and simplified), English, French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. You can also search and display WorldCat records in seven non-Latin scripts: Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, and Korean.
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Member stories
Locate and request exactly what you need from near or far
Discover how the Massachusetts Library System efficiently finds and delivers the right items to library users across the state.
Find precisely what you’re looking for without distraction
See how the University of California, Davis empowers researchers with quick and efficient access to the resources they need worldwide.
“I use WorldCat on FirstSearch 10–15 times a day at least, sometimes more. I couldn't do my job without WorldCat on FirstSearch. The breadth of collections is unparalleled.”
Tommy Nixon
MLIS Subject Librarian for Classics, Dramatic Art, & English/Comparative Literature
Davis Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
FirstSearch is the most powerful interface for searching WorldCat. Researchers and library staff can find and select resources in thousands of library collections with rich information from WorldCat records. FirstSearch libraries are also more visible on the popular websites where people often begin their research.
Service availability
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Available everywhere
Learn more
Download the FirstSearch brochure
Download the FirstSearch brochure (US Letter)
Download the FirstSearch brochure (A4)
Upcoming events
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